Wolves are moving swiftly to appoint a new manager following Gary O’Neil’s departure, with former Porto and Olympiakos coach, Sergio Pereira, reportedly the top choice. The club does not expect compensation for Pereira to be a significant hurdle. While other candidates, including former West Ham and Manchester United manager David Moyes, have been considered, sources indicate Pereira is currently the frontrunner for the job.
Pereira, 56, has been managing Al Shabab in Saudi Arabia since February, leading them to an eighth-place finish in the Saudi Pro League last season. This term, his side is sixth after securing seven wins from 13 matches. Pereira’s coaching pedigree includes winning two Primeira Liga titles with Porto (2012, 2013) and the Greek Super League with Olympiakos in 2015, adding further weight to his credentials.
With Wolves not returning to training until Tuesday, there is a possibility that Pereira could take over immediately, with his first match in charge scheduled for Sunday’s away fixture against Leicester, assuming talks progress smoothly. O’Neil’s exit came on the back of a 2-1 home loss to Ipswich on Saturday, a result that left Wolves second from bottom in the Premier League, four points adrift of safety.
Wolves’ season has been a difficult one, marked by seven losses and one draw from their first eight league matches. A brief unbeaten run, which included victories over Southampton and Fulham, offered some hope, but recent defeats to Bournemouth, Everton, West Ham, and Ipswich have dashed those expectations. Defensively, they have struggled significantly, conceding 40 goals, the most in the league, and allowing two or more goals in 13 of their 16 matches.
Saturday’s loss saw Wolves concede an own goal from Matt Doherty, though Matheus Cunha responded to equalize. However, a last-minute header from Ipswich’s Jack Taylor sealed the win for the visitors. Off-field tensions have also added to the club’s woes, with Mario Lemina stripped of the captaincy after an altercation with West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen. Further incidents involving Rayan Ait-Nouri and Cunha have also raised concerns. In his post-match comments, O’Neil admitted that he had “never had such a struggle” managing the squad.
Before joining Wolves, O’Neil had a one-year stint at Bournemouth, where he helped the club avoid relegation in the 2022-23 season. However, he was dismissed shortly after, with Andoni Iraola replacing him as manager.
