Will Julen Lopetegui still be in charge of Wolves at the start of the season? Photo: Getty Images/Jack Thomas.
Wolverhampton are facing a very difficult summer and head coach Julen Lopetegui's future is in doubt as the club struggles to balance their accounts.
Lopetegui is disappointed after being told the club's transfer budget will be severely constrained ahead of his first full season in the Premier League.
Wolverhampton have raised almost £90m from player sales since the end of last season, but cannot spend it all unless further departures are made.
This has caused great concern among the fans, many of whom fear a relegation battle under the leadership of an ambitious coach, whose hands are tied behind his back.
Here, Telegraph Sport looks at Molineux's key problems.
How bad Wolves' finances are “?
There is no point in hiding that the Wolves are in trouble. Having spent huge sums of money in the last four transfer windows (including £175m last season), they have now caught up. Too many bad signings were made, like Gonzalo Guedes and Fabio Silva, while other big buys, including Matheus Nunez and Matheus Cunha, struggled to make a lasting impression.
Matheus Cunha is one of several players who have struggled to impress Wolves. Credit: Getty Images/Jack Thomas. sustainable development rules (formerly known as financial fair play).
In the first year of this cycle, the Wolves posted a loss of £45m in February: the estimated loss for the second year is between £60m and £70m, so the total would be over £115m, over the allowed £105m. Premier League.
This is putting huge pressure on the Wolves to turn a profit over the next 12 months as the fiscal year starts in June.
Will more players have to be sold until the Wolves can negotiate which or new contracts?
Inevitably, further sales are needed despite the departures of captain Ruben Neves, Nathan Collins, Conor Cody, Raul Jimenez and Ryan Giles.
Daniel Podens and Johnny Castro Otto seem like the most likely contenders to go next, although both players are unlikely to earn much more than £10m.
Lopetegui's No. 1 target this summer is Bristol City's Alex Scott, although the club fell short with a second offer of £20m plus additions this month. Negotiations between the two clubs were friendly and professional, and there was even a sense in Wolves that a deal could be done – until now.
For the moment, this move is on hold until Wolves can remove more players and salaries from ledgers. The same applies to the club's bid to sign Aaron Cresswell from West Ham United.
Are Wolves' owners committed to the cause and should fans worry about the future?
The Woolfs insist the club is not for sale, and Fosong, the Chinese conglomerate that owns them, remains fully committed. This year alone, he has invested £80m to keep the cash flow going and basically keep the club running.
Simply put, the Wolves slowed down to try and avoid breaking financial rules. The Premier League brought charges against Manchester City and Everton last season, and this has sparked fear in boards of directors across the country.
There is uncertainty about what punishment a particular club could face, if he is proven guilty, therefore the Wolves will apply the “worst-case scenario” of severe sanctions, including the deduction of points.
This means that the Wolves may be risking their short-term future, but they want to run the club properly and within the rules. Leicester City took similar action last summer and they ended up being relegated, so many Wolves fans are afraid of it.
Is Julen Lopetegui going to leave? 
Julen Lopetegui doesn't believe he has a team to compete in the Premier League. Photo: Getty Images/Jack Thomas
He is unhappy and clearly doesn't think the current squad is good enough for the Premier League. It's an awkward moment when the Wolves have arguably the most decorated manager in their history, but they can't properly back him up.
Lopetegui gave another interview this week in which he laid bare his frustration. He insisted that the club went to plan B, but even now he cannot do this.
After leading the club to a safe distance last season – one of the most underestimated achievements of the campaign – he was counting for further action. will leave his mark on the team this summer.
Communication has been a big problem at the club over the past few months, from the owner to the financial and football departments. Perhaps the financial issues were not properly explained to key personnel.
While Lopetegui is no doubt right when he gets annoyed, it should be noted that he has a previous one. In his former clubs, there were often skirmishes with employers. At Sevilla, he had to adopt a strict economic policy and salary structure. The best managers are usually difficult and difficult to work with, and this is perhaps another example. The Wolves don't expect him to leave and want to work together to get through this mini-crisis.
It also needs to be made clear that the Wolves squad is very decent at this level, especially for a starting lineup.< /p>
Nunez, Max Kilman (who is expected to leave Napoli and stay), Mario Lemina, Craig Dawson and Joao Gomez will be starters in most Premier League teams.
Maybe the situation isn't as bad as Lopetegui fears, though it's the lack of strength deep down that is his main concern.
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