Juelen Lopetegui has been speaking about Wolves’ current financial issues, in an interview with Guillem Balague – and admitted he doesn’t have any control right now over player incomings and exits at the club.
It has been a difficult summer so far for Wolves.
Shortly after last season ended, reports surfaced that the club were dealing with FFP issues.
These issues were apparently not made clear to Lopetegui when he joined the club.
After taking some time away to think about things, Lopetegui came back to Compton Park ready to prepare the team for the new season.
He accepts that the club cannot spend big this summer.
But it’s clear from this new interview he’s done with Balague that it’s a frustrating situation from him.
Julen Lopetegui talks about Wolves’ financial issues, and confirms Raul Jimenez has left
At one point in the interview, Balague asks Lopetegui about Wolves’ cash flow issues.
The journalist puts it to him that it does not seem right now that there is money at Wolves to buy new players.
On that, Lopetegui says: “In May we started talking about the new situation. Unfortunately the situation was real, and bad news for me, of course. After Plan A, we tried to think about players signing. But it’s true at the moment we can’t do Plan B too. It’s true that we want to sell more players.”
“I am only a coach. The answer is clear – to work very hard. To try to do my best, my staff too. I didn’t know what was happening before I came here. I know I can (only) talk about what happened from since I’ve been here.
“If they are going to sell the player they want, with each player more than now… we have suffered a lot to achieve our aim. I think we have to highlight the level of the Premier League. The Premier League doesn’t forgive. I think we need to understand this this. To translate to the fans too exactly the situation and say we are going to need your help more than ever.
“We are going to do out best, undoubtedly.
“But of course, you ask me as a coach, if I would like to have more options… I think it’s good for the players that are here too to have competition.
“This is not happening at Wolverhampton. It’s happening at all the teams around the world and of course above all, in the Premier League.”
“It’s not about losing players. It’s about having more players. To change players for others and remain competitive.
“For example yesterday, Raul is going. It’s a pity for me that he’s gone. But it’s not under my control that they will go out or not. I want to highlight this
When asked if he wanted to keep exit-linked players like Daniel Podence, Jonny Castro Otto and Rayan Ait-Nouri, he said: “I can’t answer you because it’s not under my control.”
Jimenez is to join Fulham in a deal worth about £5.5 million.
Lopetegui comments are worrying
Lopetegui cuts a frustrated figure in this interview with Balague.
The Spaniard has always talked up the importance of having options and having strength in depth to be competitive.
At the moment, Wolves are seemingly struggling to get players in due to their financial position, which is surely very annoying for Lopetegui.
But he does maintain that he’s happy with his current crop and the attitude they have all been showing.
One just wonders if this interview is a plea for the board to increase their efforts to get players through the door, with pre-season now underway and the new season fast approaching.