Wolves Appoint Cesar Peixoto as New Head Coach After Edwards Departure

Wolves are preparing for another sharp turn in their modern history, with Rob Edwards set to be dismissed and Cesar Peixoto lined up as the club’s new head coach after a rapid agreement was reached with the Gil Vicente boss.

The decision, while not yet officially announced, has been building in the background for months. Concerns over Edwards’ position first surfaced back in December, only weeks into his tenure at Molineux, after a bleak start that never truly recovered. There were signs of life, brief surges of form that hinted at a revival, but they came too late and too sporadically to prevent relegation.

Three wins. Twenty points. The Old Gold slipped out of the Premier League with barely a fight.

For a manager appointed amid such noise and optimism, the ending feels brutally swift. Edwards left Middlesbrough under a cloud of controversy, walking away from a superb start on Teesside to take the job at his hometown club. Many around Wolves believed his appointment was a long-term play, designed as much for the Championship campaign ahead as for the doomed survival bid just gone.

He did not drift through the role. Behind the scenes, Edwards helped shape Wolves’ recruitment strategy and played a central part in persuading Raul Jimenez to return to Molineux. He was also instrumental in the push that brought seasoned defender Kieran Trippier to the club, adding experience and leadership to a fragile dressing room.

That influence, though, has not been enough to shield him from scrutiny.

A new power dynamic has taken hold. Executive chairman Nathan Shi, keen to stamp his own authority on the club’s direction, has driven a reassessment of almost every major football decision. That process led him, inevitably, to the door of Jorge Mendes.

The super-agent’s relationship with Wolves’ owners Fosun remains as strong and strategic as ever. When Shi looked for a new path, Mendes provided a name: Cesar Peixoto.

From there, events moved quickly. Talks opened, visions were exchanged, and sources indicate that Peixoto and Wolves reached a full agreement at pace. The 46-year-old is now in position to take charge immediately, stepping into a club that expects not just stability, but a swift return to the top flight.

Peixoto arrives with a familiar profile to those who follow Portuguese football. As a player, he wore the colours of Benfica and Porto and collected caps for Portugal, a technically gifted figure who moved comfortably among the country’s elite. His coaching journey, though, has been far more turbulent.

Until recently, his managerial career was a patchwork of short-lived stints and unfulfilled promise. Jobs came and went without leaving a lasting mark, his name circulating more as a curiosity than a genuine candidate for major posts.

Gil Vicente changed everything.

Taking over under difficult circumstances, Peixoto constructed a side that punched far above its weight. He guided the club to an impressive sixth-place finish, the standout achievement of his time in the dugout and the campaign that dragged his reputation into the European spotlight. That run, achieved without lavish resources, caught the eye of clubs across the continent – and crucially, of Wolves’ hierarchy.

Inside Molineux, decision-makers have been struck by his tactical clarity and the way he handled the pressures at Gil Vicente. They see an emerging coach with room to grow, someone whose best work may still be ahead of him rather than behind.

This is the bet they are making.

Relegation has altered the temperature around the club. The margin for error has shrunk. With expectations high and the demand for an immediate Premier League return growing louder by the week, Wolves are gambling that Peixoto’s fresh ideas and rising trajectory will unlock a promotion charge.

Edwards’ departure is due to be confirmed imminently. Once it is, the stage will belong to Peixoto – a relatively unproven coach stepping into a restless club that cannot afford another misstep.