Wolverhampton Wanderers’ higher-ups would undoubtedly have been planning a first-time promotion attempt to the Championship after their relegation from the Premier League appeared imminent for the majority of the 2025/26 campaign.

Despite finishing the season at the bottom of the Premier League with only three league victories and 20 points from 38 games, the West Midlands club, along with West Ham United, was expected to achieve such feats.

Wanderers have been on a downward spiral for some time, as evidenced by the atmosphere on matchdays at Molineux, where they won only twice in the Premier League last season, against Aston Villa and Liverpool, both of whom qualified for the UEFA Champions League.

Much of the frustration and fury on the terraces has been focused at the parent group, Fosun, which has made controversial boardroom restructures in recent months, with Nathan Shi now overseeing day-to-day operations in WV1 following his father’s resignation in December.

However, while Rob Edwards had failed to fully endear himself to the locals after his controversial hiring last November following Vitor Pereira’s resignation, there was an expectation that the 43-year-old would be given the opportunity to lead his first full season.

However, those hopes have been dashed in somewhat contentious fashion, as the club is preparing to formalise the appointment of Gil Vicente manager Cesar Peixoto in his place.

Many people have been perplexed by the club’s recent transfer activity, but fresh claims have now surfaced.

Following the shocking news of Rob Edwards, a new perspective on Raul Jimenez’s comeback to the Wolves has emerged.

While many supporters are perplexed by the important decision, a club statement states that it follows a “comprehensive review,” and his upcoming successor, Peixoto, is said to have been nominated by Portuguese agency Jorge Mendes.

Mendes was a key figure in Wolves’ successful five-year reign under Nuno Espírito Santo.

In the run-up to pre-season, Edwards oversaw Brazilian midfielder Andre’s four-year contract renewal, as well as the free agent signings of Kieran Trippier and South Bank cult favourite and former striker Raul Jimenez.

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Trippier spoke glowingly of Edwards’ involvement in talks, and he is reported to be one of several players left unhappy by his removal, with some even considering terminating his contract with the club, according to later sources.

However, while the previous boss expressed his thoughts on Jimenez’s signing and appeared in the announcement video on Wolves’ social media accounts, it has been stated that he had little participation in the negotiation process.

Johnny Phillips, a journalist, claimed on his ‘Football Unfiltered’ Substack that it was Mendes who, once again, was the key deal-breaker, with the Mexican international, who scored in the World Cup opener against South Africa on Thursday, citing a meeting with Shi as what convinced him to return to Molineux, after the agent set up such talks without Edwards’ involvement.

Wolves’ latest managerial shift has spoiled the euphoria following Raul Jimenez’s comeback.

Unsurprisingly, with Peixoto new to the English game, there is a general sense of stress and concern flowing through all aspects of Wolves right now, including the dressing room.

As a result, a fascinating pre-season awaits, with transfer intentions and playing style likely to change, potentially having a significant impact on the start of the club’s Championship campaign.

Jimenez’s return naturally raised the atmosphere in this part of the Black Country, with the 35-year-old scoring 57 goals in 166 appearances during his first tenure at the club, and the prospect of him and Adam Armstrong as an offensive tandem in the second tier is, in and of itself, a frightening idea.

Of course, the forward is not at fault in these reported developments, but it will raise further questions for those in the boardroom about how the first few weeks of the off-season were handled, following reports that the decision to sack Edwards was delayed due to Mendes’ focus on the managerial merry-go-round involving José Mourinho and Marco Silva.