Gary O’Neil could make a sensational return to Wolves less than a year after they sacked him, Daily Mail Sport understands.
The Black Country club parted ways with Vitor Pereira, 57, this morning following a dismal start to the season.
Wolves sit rock bottom of the Premier League after failing to win a single one of their opening 10 games.
The club’s hierarchy have now begun their search for Pereira’s successor, with O’Neil understood to be one of the names under consideration to take over at Molineux.
The Englishman was only dismissed by chairman Jeff Shi last December, when Wolves sat 19th in the Premier League after winning just two of their first 15 games. He’s been out of work since.
Sporting Lisbon boss Rui Borges, who previously worked under Ruben Amorim, is another manager linked to the job. After taking over in the Portuguese capital a year ago, he won the Primeira Liga title last term.
Wolves sacked Vitor Pereira this morning after losing 3-0 at Fulham yesterday
The Black Country club sit bottom of the Premier League following a dismal start to the season
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Gary O’Neil, who was only sacked by the club last December, is understood to be one of the managers in the running for the job
It’s however thought that the Premier League side would need to pay Sporting a compensation package to secure Borges’ services.
Current Middlesbrough boss Rob Edwards is too in the running for the role, though Wolves would also need to fork out a fee to take him from the Championship club.
Edwards would likely be a popular appointment amongst the disgruntled Wolves fanbase having played for the club for four seasons between 2004 and 2008.
Pereira’s final match in charge came yesterday at Fulham, where his side looked bereft of ideas and short of confidence as they slumped to a 3-0 loss.
He becomes the fourth top-flight boss to be sacked this season despite signing a new three-year deal just weeks ago.
Wolves announced his dismissal in a 188-word statement released by Shi on Sunday reading: ‘Vitor and his team worked tirelessly for Wolves and helped guide us through a challenging period last season, for which we are grateful.
‘Unfortunately, the start to this season has been a disappointment and, despite our strong desire to give the head coach time and matches to find an improvement, we have reached a point where we must make a change.
‘We thank Vitor and his staff for their efforts and wish them the very best for the future.’
Ruben Amorim’s successor at Sporting Lisbon Rui Borges is also understood to be in the frame
As is Middlesbrough manager Rob Edwards, who played for Wolves between 2004 and 2008
Also in the statement, the Premier League club announced that ‘under-21 head coach James Collins and under-18 head coach Richard Walker will take training while the club finalise the appointment of a new first-team head coach’.
Pereira arrived in the Black Country last December and steered the club away from trouble to finish 16th in the table.
The following summer saw significant upheaval of the playing squad, with the likes of Matheus Cunha, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Nelson Semedo among the key names to depart Molineux.
A dreadful start to the season which has left the club six points from safety had increased pressure on Pereira, and defeat at Fulham proved the final straw.
