Wolves are one step closer to appointing Bruno Lage as their next manager, according to reports...

What's the word?

The Telegraph's John Percy claims the 45-year-old is on the verge of being announced as Nuno Santo's successor after he attended a work permit hearing on Wednesday afternoon.

Fosun are determined to have him in place in time for pre-season, though there are still some issues to finalise, such as his contract.

It's understood that the former Benfica boss was recommended by super-agent Jorge Mendes, who has close ties with the Midlands outfit through his agency, Gestifute.

No hurdles are anticipated, so it's only a matter of time until Lage is in the dugout at Molineux.

Got their man

This will come as exciting and encouraging news to Fosun, who have evidently got their no.1 target.

Percy suggests that, despite Mendes' influence and other potential candidates on a shortlist, the Portuguese was still their first choice to take over from Nuno.

Perhaps surprisingly, Lage does have some experience of the Premier League as he was assistant to Carlos Carvalhal during the 2017/18 season, which saw them relegated after he took over in December from Sheffield Wednesday.

The Portuguese followed him to the Welsh outfit from Yorkshire before going onto become a manager himself at Benfica B.

Lage was then promoted to the senior side, where he won 67.1% of all his matches in charge, clinching the Primeira Liga title in 2018/19 as well as the Coach of the Year award.

That season, his Benfica side scored a whopping 103 goals, which earned him a reputation of being an exciting and attack-minded manager - something that should appear vastly different to Nuno's final season in charge as no side above 16th place scored fewer goals than Wolves this term.

There is another benefit to Lage's appointment as he'll inherit a large Portuguese contingent of players, of course, with no fewer than seven members of the current squad being born there.

All in all, the news that Lage has received his work permit will be a massive boost for Fosun. They can now go full steam ahead with their plans to turn around their fortunes in the top-flight.

AND in other news, Imagine him and Lage: Fosun can seal dream duo by signing "exciting" talisman...