Julen Lopetegui is looking to find his first job since leaving Wolves as he eyes position at European giants.
Lopetegui has found it hard to bag himself a new job since leaving Molineux. The Spaniard guided Wolves away from relegation last since as they ended up surviving comfortably.
However, Lopetegui departed just days before the start of the 2023/24 season due to FFP issues. This left the club in a right mess. However, Gary O’Neil has since come in and has improved Wolves even more and aims to guide them to a mid-table finish.
During this time, Lopetegui continues to search for a new team. The former Real Madrid manager has been linked to multiple teams such as Man United this season.
Now, he looks to complete a move to Italian giants with Lopetegui reportedly ‘pushing’ for the move.
Julen Lopetegui to AC Milan?
While it is highly unlikely that Lopetegui will find a job before the current campaign ends, it seems that he may find one for the start of next season.
Italian giants AC Milan will reportedly lose their manager, Stefano Poli at the end of the season after five years at the club.
This has opened up an opportunity for Julen Lopetgui to take his skill sets to Italy, something he is keen on doing.
According to journalist Rudy Galetti, Lopetegui is pushing to take the mantle at AC Milan. While the Italian side has not made a decision regarding their manager yet, the Spaniard is seen to be one of the preferred names.
Lopetegui had been hoping for a job in the Premier League and has been living in England since his departure from Wolves. However, now he is keen to take the next step of his career in Italy.
Julen Lopetegui’s stock will have been damaged by Wolves’ success
Lopetegui managed to convince the world that Wolves’ team was not good enough to stay up.
Yet, O’Neil, who had never managed a full season, has turned the side into a potential European contender and took them to an FA Cup quarter-final.
While depth has been a massive issue for O’Neil, he has clearly improved multiple players in the first team. Matheus Cunha was just one player who was struggling under Lopetegui but has quickly become one of the club’s best players.
This must have damaged the Spaniard’s reputation. Despite finding success at Wolves by keeping them up, he clearly could have done more.