Wolves could now potentially bring in Julen Lopetegui as their new manager after the upcoming World Cup, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Lopetegui turns down Wolves job

The Spaniard was seen as a front-runner to replace Bruno Lage at Molineux last month but ended up turning down the job for personal reasons.

Lopetegui's father is ill back in Spain and he felt like it was the wrong time to become a manager elsewhere, following the end of his spell at Sevilla.

A new update suggests that he could still become Wolves' new boss, however, should the club stay patient.

The Latest: Fresh twist emerges

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones claimed that Lopetegui could take charge at Molineux after the World Cup in the New Year, if his situation changes:

"Lopetegui might be worth one more push. He turned them down the first time because a better job came along that he couldn't turn down and the second time was because of a personal situation.

"It might be that after the World Cup, he is actually ready to take this job. So I think they need to gauge that as quickly as possible because it can't really drag on."

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The Verdict: All depends on him

It seems clear that Wolves still like the idea of Lopetegui, labelled an 'excellent' tactician by Dortmund boss Edin Terzic, becoming their next manager, so ultimately the ball remains in his court regarding the situation.

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No other candidate has been snapped up yet, so it could be that the ex-Sevilla boss is in a better place in his personal life in a couple of months and decides to take the job, bringing his attack-minded 4-3-3 false nine system to the Midlands.

Whatever happens, it is important that the saga doesn't rumble on for too long, with Wolves suddenly getting themselves into real trouble in the Premier League relegation battle due to the uncertainty in the dugout.