Wolverhampton Wanderers are believed to have identified Queen's Park Rangers boss Michael Beale as the man to replace Bruno Lage at Molineux, according to the latest reports.

What's the word?

As per esteemed journalist David Ornstein, the 42-year-old is now the Midlands outfit's first choice target to fill the club's managerial vacancy, having relieved Lage of his duties just over two weeks ago.

Writing on Twitter about that latest development, the respected insider stated: "Wolves have made Michael Beale 1st choice to become next boss. WWFC expected to move fast & contact anticipated between clubs to discuss release. Would be seen as a progressive, exciting appointment + break from previous mould."

In his attached piece for The Athletic, Ornstein suggested that the Old Gold are said to have been 'extremely impressed by his work, reputation and references', while also revealing that the Englishman's current contract at Loftus Road includes a release clause.

Special at Molineux

While it may come as something of a left-field choice considering the Bromley-born man's relative inexperience - having only taken on his first-ever managerial job with the R's this summer - as Ornstein alluded to, it is certainly an 'exciting' and bold appointment.

Recent days had seen links to former Lyon boss Peter Bosz, albeit with there notable reservations regarding the Dutchman, with the 58-year-old having been deemed "not good enough" in recent times by journalist Julien Laurens amid his fresh departure from the Ligue 1 outfit.

The beauty of appointing a figure such as Beale is that the coaching visionary has not been burned by previous bad experiences as a manager, having also honed his craft as a coach over the years, after previously working in the academy set-up at both Chelsea and Liverpool.

The promising figure has also gained valuable experience in recent years having acted as assistant manager to Steven Gerrard at both Rangers and at Aston Villa, having also previously taken on the same role for Brazilian outfit, Sao Paulo.

Lauded as a "genius" by former Gers striker Jermain Defoe, Beale has also been on the receiving end of glowing praise from the aforementioned Gerrard in recent times, with the former England international stating that what his colleague does on the training ground is "really quite special".

That coaching quality has been evident in his relatively brief tenure at his current club thus far, with the west London outfit firmly in the mix for promotion having found themselves in the play-off places at present.

To be able to poach such an impressive, up-and-coming manager could be a real coup for those back at Molineux, with it potentially worth the risk to take a gamble on a special rising star, rather than a potentially fading force such as Bosz.