Wolverhampton Wanderers have identified Eusebio Di Francesco as the leading candidate for the current managerial vacancy, according to journalist Graeme Bailey.

The Lowdown: Lage’s departure

Bruno Lage was sacked by Fosun and Jeff Shi following the club’s 2-0 Premier League defeat to West Ham last weekend, which saw them enter the relegation zone after an underwhelming start to the season.

The Old Gold have already been linked with several new coaches, including Ruben Amorim and Pedro Martins, but a new name has entered the fold and is being seriously taken into consideration at Molineux.

The Latest: Wolves hold talks with Di Francesco

Taking to Twitter, Bailey revealed that Di Francesco is now in contention to take over at Wolves.

“Eusebio Di Francesco emerges as Wolves option to replace sacked Bruno Lage.”

Expanding in his column for 90min, the reporter claimed that the 53-year-old has ‘emerged as the leading candidate’, with ‘talks’ having already ‘taken place’.

It’s believed that the Italian is ‘hugely keen’ to take on a new role in England.

The Verdict: Perfect candidate?

Di Francesco would be a huge name to be able to attract to the Midlands, and he would be a fantastic addition should Wolves be able to land his services.

The Pescara-born man has an impressive track record, having guided Sassuolo into Europe before taking AS Roma all the way to the Champions League semi-finals.

The former Giallorossi boss is also a free agent so the Old Gold wouldn’t be required to pay any compensation, making him an even more attractive candidate for the role.

One concern may be his recent short spells at Sampdoria, Cagliari and Hellas Verona, actually only winning one game with the latter, but his achievements in Rome and Sassuolo certainly look enticing.