Middlesbrough have rejected Wolves’ initial approach to speak to head coach Rob Edwards.
The Premier League club made their first official approach on Thursday evening, with Boro remaining stern in their position that they don’t want to lose the head coach, who signed a three-year contract at Boro just four months ago. Wolves are understood to have made Edwards their primary target after talks with Gary O’Neil broke down recently in their search for Vitor Pereira’s replacement.
Boro have throughout the week been adamant of their confidence of keeping Edwards, but Wolves’ official approach is a significant development. Reports out of the Midlands have suggested that the Boro boss is keen on speaking with the Premier League club over the move, though at this stage there’s no indication, other than assuming there’s no smoke without fire, to suggest that’s the case.
Wolves have felt confident enough to make contact with Boro to ask for permission to speak to Edwards, though. While Boro have rejected that request, it remains to be seen if Wolves return, or how Edwards deals with the situation now. If he were to decide to leave, Boro would demand significant compensation, but their priority at this stage is keeping the 42-year-old.
As things stand, Edwards is still scheduled to hold a pre-match press conference at 1 pm on Friday afternoon ahead of Middlesbrough’s Championship clash with Birmingham City at the Riverside on Saturday. If he is still in position and holding that, he will be questioned strongly on the Wolves links and his intentions, having twice previously failed to quash the speculation.
He made over 100 appearances for Wolves as a player and began his coaching career there too. His family still live in the Midlands, close to Wolverhampton, and while Wolves sit bottom of the Premier League with just two points right now, the move, should it happen, would see him return to the top flight.
However, Edwards is just four months into his role at Boro and he was told by Simon Jordan this week that he had an ‘obligation’ and a ‘duty’ to respect the contract he’d been given by the club this summer. On top of that, Jordan called Wolves a club in ‘managed decline’, while pointing out Boro have given themselves a good chance of promotion after a solid start under Edwards.