Wolves sack Rob Edwards, set to appoint César Peixoto

Wolves have sacked Rob Edwards and are poised to appoint the Portuguese head coach César Peixoto as his replacement. The 46-year-old Peixoto was most recently in charge of Gil Vicente, who finished sixth in the Portuguese top flight last season.

The news came as a huge shock to Edwards, who was alerted to rumours of a deal for Peixito on social media. Edwards, who is abroad on holiday, was informed in a phone call that his tenure was over after seven months, leaving even senior club staff stunned.

Edwards had been instrumental in planning for next season and even featured in the video announcing Raúl Jiménez’s return to the club on Tuesday evening. He was also a major factor in the signing of former England defender Kieran Trippier.

Together with the technical director Matt Jackson, Edwards was planning for further signings and recently attended a fans’ forum in which he outlined the need for a cultural reset following relegation.

“There were assurances that it would be a long-term plan but I’m aware, like anyone, that when you go into this job it is a results-based business,” he said last month, alluding to his decision to leave Middlesbrough in November. “I would’ve come here if this club was in the National League, I wanted to be here.

“If we get what we want of it, if we are able to do what we want to do in the summer, then we can make real positive changes to how everybody feels about the football club.”

Peixoto, who has only managed in Portugal, is represented by the Gestifute agency fronted by Jorge Mendes.

Gestifute have a close relationship with Wolves’s Chinese owner Fosun, who have regularly appointed their clients as head coach, including Vítor Pereira, Bruno Lage and Nuno Espírito Santo.

The longstanding link, which started when Fosun acquired the club in 2016, also allowed Wolves to sign players such as Pedro Neto and Rúben Neves.