Julen Lopetegui's decision to stay is a significant boost for Wolves. Credit: Getty Images/David Rogers
Julen Lopetegui has cleared uncertainty over his position as Wolves head coach by dedicating his future to the club.
Lopetegui has told senior Wolverhampton officials that he is gearing up for the next season and fully invested in it after extensive negotiations on the club's summer strategy. and transfer budget.
The future of the former Spain and Real Madrid manager has been thrown into doubt after he raised concerns about the Wolves' financial fair play problems, which would require the sale of players before he can buy new players.< /p>
While Wolverhampton will still be forced to raise funds and the future of captains Ruben Neves, Maximilian Kilman, Nathan Collins and Daniel Podens is unclear, Lopetegui is pleased with the club's plans.
Neves is Barcelona's target, while Wolverhampton have already turned down a £20m offer from Brentford for Collins, the Republic of Ireland international. Former captain Conor Cody was on loan at Everton last season but will be reintegrated into the first team and winger Ryan Giles, who impressed on loan at Middlesbrough, will also get a chance to make a name for himself. It is also known that any new contracts will be in the range of £8m to £15m after spending £200m under owners Fosun last season.
Lopetegui has spoken extensively with athletic director Matt Hobbs since the end. of the season and is enjoying the prospect of putting Wolves ahead after leading the club to Premier League survival.
Wolves were at the end of the league at Christmas but the Basque manager has done one of the most underrated managerial jobs in season, taking them away from the relegation zone.
Lopetegui returned to Spain to think about new options and is now happy to work under the restrictions that will apply to many other Premier League rivals. His relationship with Hobbs, a highly respected employee, is seen as pivotal.
The Wolves' pre-season kicks off in early July and will include a training camp in the Algarve before traveling to South Korea for friendly matches against Celtic. and Roma.
Telegraph Sports Analysis How did it come to this?
The Wolves spent nearly £200m last season and now need to raise funds to avoid FFP violations in the future. With no major sales other than a £25m move for Morgan Gibbs-White to Nottingham Forest and a £12m move for Leander Dendoncker to Aston Villa, Wolves cannot continue to operate in this manner given their commercial income compared to larger clubs. Simply put, Wolves should lower their base cost. Lopetegui was briefed on the club's summer strategy towards the end of the season and was clearly not expecting it. He had spent the last three weeks contemplating his future as he returned home to Spain and kept in regular contact with Hobbs.
What will the Wolves be doing this summer?
Wolverhampton spent more than £40m last season on Matheus Cunha and Matheus Nunez but won't be paying that much for transfers this time around. They intend to pay around £8-15m by focusing on young talent and opting to find rough gems. Joao Gomez, who signed from Flamengo in January, is the perfect player they will look to. Although Lopetegui knows the parameters of the project have changed, he is committed to the cause. Undoubtedly, there is pressure on Hobbs and his recruiting team to get creative with the market and build a team capable of challenging the Premier League.
Can this change?
It will depend on how much money can be raised. through player sales. Several members of the team could leave this summer and it's not out of the question that more than £80m could be raised if they find buyers. Neves is available for around £45m, while Podense, José Sa and Ryan Ait-Nouri will also be free. Collins and Kilman are seen as key players in Wolverhampton's future, but equally come at a cost. However, it is unlikely that the Wolves will spend big money this summer, even if they earn millions of pounds through sales. The brakes must be applied to balance the books.
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