Wolves ‘turned down’ by Championship manager as search for Lage replacement goes on

Jason Soutar
Reported Wolves target Michael Beale during a match

Queens Park Rangers manager Michael Beale has reportedly ‘turned down’ the opportunity to manage Wolves.

The Premier League club sacked Portuguese boss Bruno Lage on October 2.

It has been a slow start to the season for Wolves, who are greatly struggling in front of goal.

They are currently in the relegation zone with two wins from their opening 11 Premier League fixtures, having scored the least amount of goals in the top flight (5).

Wolves had made former Sevilla boss Julen Lopetegui their number-one choice but the Spaniard opted against a move to England after three gruelling years in charge of the La Liga club.

Beale then became the club’s top target with his QPR side now top of the Championship.

He took over in June and is doing a tremendous job having gained experience working with Steven Gerrard at Liverpool, Rangers and Aston Villa.

Often hailed for a lot of Gerrard’s success at Ibrox, Beale is a highly-rated young coach and is proving his worth with the Rs.

When asked if he was flattered to be linked with a Premier League club, the 42-year-old said: “I did come from the Premier League to work here. I do know that level. I felt over-ready for this job and I feel supremely confident in this job.

“It’s 100 per cent a dream of mine to manage in the Premier League. That’s not a secret. But it has to be the right opportunity, the right moment and the right club.”

It was reported by The Athletic on Thursday morning that Wolves had officially approached QPR to speak to their manager.

However, Beale has turned down the opportunity to manage at Molineux, according to The Telegraph.

Wolves apparently had no qualms triggering Beale’s £1.2million release clause, but their admiration of the manager is clearly not reciprocated.

Despite being the Premier League outfit’s priority, Wolves are talking to several managers.

They are ‘looking at’ Dutch boss Peter Bosz and have also ‘contacted’ their former head coach Nuno Espirito Santo, who is currently in charge of Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad after a failed spell at Tottenham.

The Athletic article adds that Wolves were ‘impressed’ by Beale’s ‘work, reputation and references’ and viewed him as an ‘exciting, progressive potential appointment’.

As well as Bosz and Nuno, the Molineux side have been linked with former Watford boss Rob Edwards.

Beale’s desire to stay at Loftus Road is a humungous boost for QPR.

Victory over Cardiff City on Wednesday put the Londoners top of the Championship after 15 games.

It is extremely tight in the top half of the second tier, however, with only four points separating the pacesetters from eighth-placed Milwall.

Next up for QPR is Wigan Athletic at home. The Latics are currently 17th in the league and off the back of a 4-1 home defeat to Middlesbrough.

READ NOW: Premier League winners and losers: Ten Hag’s blueprint and Conte’s lack of ambition