Wolves have been working on manager appointment for a month – Key factor delayed deal

Wolves’ move for César Peixoto have appeared to pop out this week. However, reports from Portugal indicate the Championship club have actually been working on the appointment for around a month.

The Gil Vicente manager has suddenly become the prime candidate to take over at Molineux following Wolves’ relegation from the Premier League. But fresh details from Portugal now shed light on how long the process has been developing behind the scenes.

While Wolves supporters only started hearing Peixoto’s name linked with the club in recent days, both Record and O Jogo report negotiations have been ongoing for weeks.

Month-long talks now nearing conclusion

According to Record, discussions between Wolves and Gil Vicente have been underway for approximately a month.

The Portuguese newspaper explains that progress slowed recently because Jorge Mendes was simultaneously involved in a major coaching reshuffle elsewhere.

Mendes was working on José Mourinho’s move to Real Madrid and Marco Silva’s arrival at Benfica, with those deals taking priority at certain stages of the process.

With those situations now largely resolved, attention has returned to Peixoto’s proposed move to England.

Record state Wolves are in advanced negotiations. Moreover, they sealed a verbal agreement with the manager on a two-year contract.

Only final steps remain

O Jogo go even further, reporting that an agreement between Wolves, Peixoto and his representatives is practically complete.

According to the newspaper, the only significant obstacle remaining is the payment of the release clause included in the manager’s contract with Gil Vicente.

The report adds that Gil Vicente have been aware of the discussions throughout the process. In addition, Peixoto was particularly attracted by both the sporting project presented by Wolves and the opportunity to work abroad for the first time in his managerial career.

The 46-year-old had been preparing for the 2026/27 season with Gil Vicente’s hierarchy after signing a contract extension until 2027 in November. This makes the speed of Wolves’ move all the more notable.

Why Wolves have moved quickly

César Peixoto’s stock rose significantly last season after he guided Gil Vicente to sixth place in the Primeira Liga.

His side collected 50 points, the third-highest tally in the club’s history. That secured one of the strongest league finishes Gil Vicente have ever achieved.

And those achievements appear to have convinced Wolves that he is capable of leading their push for an immediate return to the Premier League.

The latest reports suggest the process is now approaching its final stages. More importantly, they reveal this is not a decision Wolves have rushed into over the last few days.

Instead, the club have apparently been working on Peixoto’s appointment for around a month, with only contractual formalities and compensation issues now standing between the Portuguese coach and a move to Molineux.