Wolves Sack Rob Edwards as Cesar Peixoto Replacement Looms

Wolverhampton Wanderers have sacked Rob Edwards in a brutal twist just weeks before the new season, and are closing in on Portuguese coach Cesar Peixoto as his replacement.

Edwards was informed of the decision by the Wolves hierarchy despite having been central to a summer rebuild that delivered headline signings Kieran Trippier and Raúl Jiménez. He had helped sell the project, shaped the recruitment and fronted the club’s messaging. Now he is out.

The timing is stark. Wolves finished bottom of the Premier League last season, a campaign that saw Vitor Pereira dismissed in November and Edwards brought in with a clear brief: steady the ship, accept likely relegation and construct a side capable of coming back up from the Championship.

Wolves even paid a premium to get him. Middlesbrough, top of the Championship at the time, received £4 million to release Edwards for the Molineux job. It was presented as a long-term appointment. A reset. A manager to build around.

Instead, the club has lurched again.

The decision threatens to puncture the optimism that had finally begun to gather around Molineux. Trippier and Jiménez arrived as proven, high-profile additions, the sort of signings meant to signal intent after the drop. Their unveiling was wrapped in the language of a new era under Edwards.

Jiménez’s “Welcome Home” video, released on club channels only two days ago, even featured the manager himself, woven into the narrative of a shared journey. Trippier, in his first interview on Wednesday, name-checked Edwards as a major reason for committing to Wolves, talking up the vision he had been sold.

Behind the scenes, Edwards had forged a strong partnership with technical director Matt Jackson. Together they had targeted British talent this summer, aiming to strengthen the club’s home-grown core and reshape the dressing-room culture. Insiders spoke of a shift in standards and mood since Edwards walked through the door.

While that work unfolded in public, a different plan was forming in private.

Cesar Peixoto, represented by Gestifute, the agency owned by Jorge Mendes, has emerged as the man Wolves now want. Peixoto’s coaching career to date has been rooted entirely in Portugal, most notably as head coach of Gil Vicente. He brings no experience of English football, but comes with powerful backing.

Mendes and his associate Valdir Cardoso have maintained close, influential ties with Wolves’ owners, Fosun, since the 2016 takeover. Those connections once again appear to be shaping the club’s direction, with a deal for Peixoto being assembled even as Edwards fronted the club’s summer reset.

For the supporters, it is another jarring turn in a turbulent period. For Edwards, it is a ruthless end to a project he had only just begun. For Peixoto, if and when he walks through the door, it will be straight into a club that has chosen upheaval over continuity on the eve of a pivotal Championship campaign.