Wolves Dismiss Edwards, Hire Peixoto as New Head Coach

Wolves have moved ruthlessly to reshape their future, reaching a full agreement with Gil Vicente head coach Cesar Peixoto and preparing to confirm the dismissal of Rob Edwards after just one turbulent season at Molineux.

The decision ends weeks of internal uncertainty and months of quiet doubt.

Edwards Out, Peixoto In

Edwards’ fate was effectively sealed long before the final whistle on Wolves’ relegation campaign. Concerns inside the club first surfaced back in December, when his inauspicious start raised questions about whether he was the man to steady a side fighting to stay in the Premier League.

Results improved, but not enough. Three wins, 20 points, and a meek slide out of the top flight left Wolves with a brutal conclusion: the project was not working.

Even so, many around the club believed Edwards had been appointed with the Championship in mind, a long-term play aimed at building a young, hungry team capable of bouncing straight back. He had, after all, walked away from a brilliant start at Middlesbrough to take charge of his hometown club, a move that sparked controversy but underlined his emotional pull to Molineux.

He did not spend that time idly. Edwards helped shape Wolves’ recruitment strategy and played a significant role in persuading Raul Jimenez to return to the club. He also pushed hard for the signing of experienced defender Kieran Trippier, a move seen as vital in adding leadership to a fragile dressing room.

Yet influence off the pitch could not mask what was happening on it. And in the background, the power lines at Wolves were shifting.

Mendes’ Hand, Shi’s Mark

New executive chairman Nathan Shi has been eager to stamp his authority on the club, and that has meant reassessing almost every major football decision. That process quickly brought Jorge Mendes back into sharp focus.

The super-agent’s relationship with Wolves’ owners Fosun remains as strong as ever. His advice still carries weight, his recommendations still open doors. This time, he pushed one name to the front of the queue: Cesar Peixoto.

Talks accelerated once Mendes put Peixoto forward. Wolves moved fast, holding detailed discussions to dig into the Portuguese coach’s tactical ideas, training methods, and long-term vision. Those conversations impressed the hierarchy enough that any lingering doubt over Edwards’ future evaporated.

A full agreement with Peixoto, 46, is now in place. He is ready to take charge immediately.

Peixoto’s Rise from Obscurity

In Portugal, Peixoto is a familiar name. As a player, he wore the shirts of Benfica and Porto and represented his country at international level. On the pitch, he carried pedigree.

On the touchline, that stature took time to arrive.

Before 2025, his coaching career looked ordinary. A string of short-lived appointments, no sustained success, and little to suggest he would one day be leading a promotion push in England. His reputation drifted rather than grew.

Then came Gil Vicente.

Under Peixoto, the club surged to a sixth-place finish in the Portuguese top flight, the standout achievement of his managerial career. That season changed everything. It showcased a coach capable of imposing a clear structure, of organising a team under difficult circumstances, and of extracting more from a squad than many expected.

Clubs across Europe took notice. Wolves did more than that. They acted.

Sources close to the situation say the Molineux hierarchy have been particularly struck by his tactical clarity and his ability to manage adversity at Gil Vicente. To them, he is not a gamble plucked from obscurity, but an emerging coach with significant upside at exactly the moment the club needs fresh ideas.

High Stakes in the Championship

Wolves now enter a pivotal season with a new man in the dugout and little room for error. Relegation has sharpened expectations rather than lowered them. The demand is blunt: return to the Premier League, and do it quickly.

Peixoto walks into a club under pressure, but also into a structure that has been quietly retooled for a promotion charge. The recruitment strategy Edwards helped shape remains in place. Key figures such as Jimenez and Trippier are already in the building. The foundations are there.

What changes is the voice at the centre of it all.

With Edwards’ departure set to be confirmed imminently, Wolves are betting that Peixoto’s fresh ideas and rising reputation can turn a season of disappointment into a launchpad.

Now comes the hard part: proving that this bold, Mendes-backed appointment is the one that drags Molineux back to where it believes it belongs.