Wolves have been dealt a second setback in their quest for a new manager after discovering that Erik ten Hag is hesitant about taking over from Vitor Pereira. Wolves dismissed Pereira on Sunday following a dismal 3-0 loss to Fulham and are now on the hunt for his successor. The team currently sit at the bottom of the Premier League, having failed to secure a win in their last 10 matches – a situation that is complicating their recruitment efforts.
Former manager Gary O’Neil, who was let go by Wolves in December 2024, ruled out a return on Monday after discussions with the club.mTen Hag, alongside Middlesbrough boss Rob Edwards, is on Wolves’ shortlist after being sacked by Bayer Leverkusen earlier this season. He previously spent two and a half years at the helm of Manchester United before being shown the door in October last year as the club welcomed Ruben Amorim.
Despite being available, Ten Hag is reportedly not enthusiastic about the prospect of managing Wolves, who are already eight points adrift of safety. Wolves have reached out via an intermediary, but The Times suggests they would face a steep climb to secure Ten Hag’s services.
Jeff Shi, Wolves’ executive chairman, is under increasing pressure as he seeks the ninth permanent manager of Fosun’s tenure. Supporters have reacted angrily to the latest twists in the managerial search, with a potential comeback for O’Neil less than a year after his dismissal proving unpopular.
A group of supporters have demanded answers from Fosun owner Guo Guongchang and declared a vote of no confidence in Shi. Time is running out to appoint a new manager, with a challenging trip to face Chelsea on Saturday looming.
Under-21 head coach James Collins and under-18 head coach Richard Walker are currently in temporary charge ahead of the difficult fixture against Chelsea this weekend after eight of Pereira’s backroom team departed alongside the Portuguese boss.
Edwards spent time at Wolves as a player and has been heavily linked with a return, which would mean departing Championship side Middlesbrough. But like Ten Hag, he appears unenthusiastic about the vacancy.
“I was told about it by my daughter yesterday, so that probably tells you where I am with it all,” the 42 year old said on Monday. “I can understand it, with my links to the club, but my full focus is on this job here, which is a brilliant job, and trying to turn things around from the weekend in what is a really big game against Leicester.
“It’s speculation stuff, so it’s hard for me to comment on anything other than Middlesbrough Football Club, which is where my focus is. We’ve done a decent job so far, all I care about is trying to win tomorrow.
“It’s all speculation. I never get drawn into stuff that’s all hypothetical, and I don’t want to get drawn into that. I love being Middlesbrough manager – head coach, I should say – and that’s all I want to think about. I just want to talk about us and Leicester, that’s it.”