Yet another name has emerged as a candidate for the Wolves job, with reports suggesting target Rui Vitoria is open to a Molineux move.
Until Wolves reach an agreement with a new manager, you can expect new names to keep popping up with each passing day.
The latest is Rui Vitoria, a former title-winning Benfica manager whose recent roles include the Egyptian national team, Panathinaikos and Al Nassr.
It’s another Portuguese manager being put forward. Bruno Lage was linked with a Wolves return in recent days, and Palmeiras boss Abel Ferreira has also been approached by Wolves.
But neither look likely to assume the post.
According to ESPN, Vitoria is open to the move. There is, however, a concerning element to this potential appointment.
Wolves target Rui Vitoria is Vitor Pereira 2.0
Vitoria’s resume is nothing to sniff at. He won seven trophies in three years at Benfica.
But when you compare his career with that of recently departed Pereira, there are many parallels.
Bizarrely, they have both worked in Greece, Saudi Arabia and Portugal, and even their names aren’t too far off.
But those are novel comparisons, and not what is cause for concern.
Apart from both having two Primeira Liga titles, they have also been stuck with the ‘journeyman’ label in recent years. Since 2020, Vitoria has gone through four managerial roles, the same as Pereira before joining Wolves. And the kicker — neither had managed in a top-five league before Wolves came knocking.
It’s nothing against Vitoria, really, but Wolves fans are surely desperate for a change from Fosun’s repeating cycle.
Wolves are repeating mistakes
In recent seasons, clubs bidding to stay up have turned to survival specialists like Sean Dyche, David Moyes and Sam Allardyce.
- READ MORE: Sam Allardyce responds to Wolves links and shares what he has ‘heard’ about their manager preference
But Wolves keep turning to overseas managers with no Premier League experience, selected from what seems to be a narrow pool of Jorge Mendes clients — Vitoria being one.
If that’s your process, you’re clearly not looking for the best man for the job.
Mendes’ popularity has been waning at Wolves, and another client cosying his way into the role might just be the last straw for fans.
Maybe Vitoria is the perfect man for the job, but from the outside, it looks like yet another easy choice and one that isn’t likely to yield different results.