MOLINEW Nuno’s on the brink of signing a fresh deal after putting Wolves back among big boys

NUNO Espirito Santo is close to agreeing a new deal to stay at Wolves.

Talks with the Portuguese manager have been on-going during lockdown and the finishing touches are now being applied to a contract that will run until 2023.

Nuno has taken Wolves from the Championship to the fringes of Champions League qualification. Three years in which he has transformed the Black Country club.

He has been helped by his agent Jorge Mendes, sourcing top quality players for the firstteam squad but the new deal is recognition of his work so far.

The news will be greeted warmly at Molineux and give his squad a much-needed boost ahead of the run-in – which includes the conclusion of the club’s Europa League campaign.

Wolves head into this afternoon’s clash with Everton off the back of two defeats after three victories following the restart. And they do so amid rumours that Daniel Podence, their £17million signing from Olympiakos in January, is attracting attention.

Celtic head a list of clubs that have enquired about taking the winger on loan next season.

But Nuno’s plans for him are unknown as he has barely played for his new club this term.

Podence was expected to play a significant part after his move from Greece but has failed to figure and has only just returned to the squad after spending a week in isolation following a trip to Portugal.

Podence is again unlikely to figure at Molineux as Nuno prepares to stop the rot.

And a failure to post more than one shot on target in those defeats to Sheffield United and Arsenal has led to cause for concern.

Former boss Graham Taylor famously said he wanted Wolves to be ‘a shooting team’ after taking over.

Nuno echoed those sentiments but added that there were other factors at play as to why his side failed to hit the target more than once during the last 180 minutes of action. He said: “Like Graham, I want us to become a shooting team. We have produced situations but not finished them.

“Why were we not able to produce as many chances as we would like?

“Well, we have detected why and worked them out on the pitch – we will go out to be a shooting team.

“It’s not just about going forward, it’s about the defensive side also. We conceded three goals in the last two games so we have to focus on that.

“Against Aston Villa we won lots of second balls. We didn’t against Sheffield United or Arsenal.

“So, it’s not that simple to change it. It’s everything. We’re trying to see where the problems are.

“It’s the creation, the building process.

“Is something missing in our counter-attacks – the last pass, the finish, the last touch?

“We have to find it. But we do have talented, quality, players, so these things will happen.”