Wolves' search for a new manager has taken another twist, with reports suggesting that talks are progressing with Julen Lopetegui ahead of him taking over the vacant post at Molineux.

What's the word?

The Spanish manager, who was recently sacked by Sevilla, was seemingly Wolves' first choice to take over from Bruno Lage after the Portuguese boss was sacked by the Old Gold in early October.

However, Lopetegui would turn down a move to Molineux due to the ill health of his father, which forced Fosun to consider other options as they look to turn around a woeful start to the season which leaves the Midlands club in the relegation places in the Premier League.

Liam Keen, who covers Wolves for the Express and Star, confirmed the news on Twitter.

He said: "Incredible how football works out…Wolves are back in talks with Julen Lopetegui. It’s progressing well and Wolves are hopeful of appointing him before the World Cup break."

'Incredible' boost

After QPR manager Michael Beale was approached, only for him to also turn down the job, it should be an incredible lift for the club to reignite talks with their initial number one choice.

After all, the failed appointment of Beale led the board to announce that interim manager Steve Davis would remain in charge until after the World Cup break.

Unfortunately, it quickly became clear that the former Crewe Alexandra boss was way out of his depth as he oversaw losses against Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Leicester City, which has seemingly forced the board to reconsider.

And now, it seems as if Lopetegui will be the man to succeed Lage at Molineux, in the hope that the 56-year-old can re-produce the form he showed in the early days of his spell with Sevilla, with whom he won the Europa League in 2020.

Lopetegui will need to improve upon the form he showed with Sevilla earlier this term, however, as the Spanish side won just one of ten games in all competitions, including heavy losses in the Champions League against Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund, which saw him relieved of his duties.

Despite that, the Spaniard still averaged an impressive 1.85 points per game with the Rojiblancos, which is a big improvement on the 1.29 points per game averaged by Lage at Wolves.

Therefore, all being well, Lopetegui can be the man to get Wolves out of the mess they find themselves in and ensure that they are still playing Premier League football this time next year.

Given his CV, he could just be a brilliant appointment for Fosun. As Keen says, it's remarkable how quickly football can change in the space of a few weeks. For once, there is a sense of optimism and hope surrounding Molineux. This is an unexpected, but incredible boost for the club.