Julen Lopetegui has parted company with Wolves just days before the start of the new Premier League season.

Here, the PA news agency looks at what went wrong for the Spaniard.

Wasn’t the appointment of Lopetegui considered a coup and wasn’t he doing well?

Yes, when Wolves brought in the former Spain and Real Madrid manager last November, with the team in the relegation zone, it seemed the club had made a smart appointment. Given that Lopetegui had initially turned them down too, they had shown great determination to recruit him. He repaid them by comfortably guiding the club to survival. It was not spectacular but he steadied the ship and form in the spring was a clear uplift on the football of his predecessor Bruno Lage.

So, the foundations were there to build on. Where did it start to go wrong?

At the end of last season there were rumblings that the club would need to match Lopetegui’s ambition in order for him to stay on, despite having signed a three-year contract when he arrived. That meant strengthening a squad that fell short in many areas last term, particularly in the goal-scoring department. Yet, with the club also concerned about balancing the books, it appears they were unable to satisfy him and relations soured.

What have been the problems with the squad?

Wolves signed 10 senior players last season and brought in a further two on loan. Having posted a loss of £41.6million in their last set of financial results, this obviously suggested some sales would be required to prevent further deficit and to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations. Subsequently captain Ruben Neves left for Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal for a club record £47million and Raul Jimenez also moved on, with Matt Doherty the only notable arrival on a free transfer.

What was said about the situation?

Lopetegui voiced his frustration over the summer, saying that transfer activity had been a “big disappointment” and he was unable to enact his ideas. “We were excited by this new plan, but now we don’t have this plan because we don’t have any new players,” he said. Wolves chairman Jeff Shi put out his side of the story in an open letter to supporters last week. “We are also working hard to make sure the club have a long-term robustness and sustainability,” he wrote, adding that it was important to “maintain a sustainable balance of both sporting performance and financial strength”. It seems this only succeeded in bringing matters with Lopetegui to a head.

What happens next?

Given his track record and reputation, Lopetegui is not likely to have trouble finding his next job. Clubs will need to be wary his services come with high demands, however. Wolves are reportedly lining up former Bournemouth manager Gary O’Neil as his replacement.

Julen Lopetegui’s nine-month spell as Wolves head coach has ended after reaching an “agreement to part ways” on the eve of the new Premier League season.

The former Spain and Real Madrid boss arrived in November after the club were successful in their second attempt in recruiting him to replace Bruno Lage.

Lopetegui guided the side away from the bottom of the table to a 13th-placed finish but apparent disagreement over the club’s recruitment policy over the summer has resulted in the 56-year-old departing.

“The head coach and club acknowledged and accepted their differences of opinion on certain issues and agreed that an amicable end to his contract was the best solution for all parties,” said a statement from the club.

“Talks have been ongoing in recent weeks, held with the utmost respect and cordiality, affording the club time and space to begin work on finding a successor, while also ensuring that Julen and his backroom staff could continue their planned preparation to ensure the playing squad would be in the best possible condition for the start of the Premier League season.”

In his own statement Lopetegui said: “I wish Wolves and everybody at the club the very best of luck for the future, and thank them for the opportunity granted at the time to take charge of this wonderful club.

“It has been an honour to enjoy this adventure. Also, of course, I want to thank the players, who have always given the maximum to achieve our objectives, and especially the fans that made me feel like one of them from the very first moment and have always been amazing to me, my staff and my family.”

Mansfield powered into the Carabao Cup second round for the first time in five years with a convincing 2-0 home win over Grimsby.

Mansfield dominated the first half and led through a Lucas Akins penalty on 27 minutes, sending keeper Harvey Cartwright the wrong way after Cartwright had brought him down following a loose touch on a back pass.

Early on, Abo Eisa made a brilliant block to deny Stephen Quinn while Luke Waterfall cleared an Aden Flint header off the line.

Davis Keillor-Dunn then sent Rhys Oates clear down the centre on 18 minutes but he blazed horribly over.

Akins could have had a first-half hat-trick, firing over on 19 minutes and forcing a save from Cartwright on 31 minutes.

Ex-Stag Danny Rose almost levelled against the run of play, but Christy Pym pushed away his header from a 38th-minute corner.

Aaron Lewis and Keillor-Dunn then both wasted great Mansfield chances late in the half, Cartwright saving from Lewis at the far post and Keillor-Dunn firing over a gaping goal from Akins’ square ball.

Constant early second-half pressure saw the Stags seal the win on 55 minutes as Keillor-Dunn’s square pass saw Oates wriggle into the box and dispatch a low finish from 12 yards off the outside of his boot.

Swansea’s top scorer of the past two seasons, Joel Piroe, struck twice to give his new boss Michael Duff his first win as the Championship side went safely into the second round of the Carabao Cup with a 3-0 home win over Northampton.

The subject of much transfer speculation this summer, Piroe struck in the 10th minute when Wales international Ollie Cooper drove into the Cobblers’ box and passed across goal for a simple tap-in.

His second came 10 minutes into the second half and was equally simple. This time Liam Cullen took up the running on the right and his cross ricocheted off a defender and went in off Piroe’s chest.

The first strike took him to 50 goals in his professional career and his second made it 46 in 94 games for the Swans.

Swansea dominated the opening exchanges, but their League One visitors created a couple of good chances, both of which were pushed just past the post by Kieron Bowie.

Swansea came out hard and fast at the start of the second half and skipper Matt Grimes set Cooper free, but he stumbled as he tried to beat Max Thompson in the Northampton goal and saw his scrambled effort go inches wide.

New signing Josh Ginnelly marked his debut with a 93rd-minute scorcher to put the final seal on a good night’s work.

Middlesbrough marched into the second round of the Carabao Cup with a 3-2 victory at 10-man Huddersfield.

Kian Harratt gave the hosts an early lead but Jaheim Headley’s 13th-minute red card handed Boro the initiative.

And goals from Samuel Silvera, Isiah Jones and Riley McGree wrapped up victory for Michael Carrick’s visitors before Kyle Hudlin’s late consolation.

Huddersfield led inside four minutes a Harratt pounced on a Boro defensive error and fired home his first senior goal.

But Town’s hopes were hit when last man Headley bundled Isiah Jones over and was given his marching orders.

Carrick’s side drew level in the 20th minute when Silvera’s shot struck both posts on its way in.

After the break, Martin Payero came close to poking Boro in front after some uncertain Town defending.

And the visitors took the lead in the 63rd minute as an inspired threaded pass from Dan Barlaser found Jones, who flicked the ball past onrushing goalkeeper Chris Maxwell.

Substitute McGree added a third with eight minutes left when he cut on to his right foot and fired low past Maxwell.

Hudlin headed home in the fourth minute of added time but Boro held on to progress into the second round.

Chelsea are reportedly the subject of a Premier League investigation for alleged breaches of financial regulations during Roman Abramovich’s time at the club.

It has been reported current owners Todd Boehly and the Clearlake Capital Consortium, who took over last summer after Abramovich was forced to sell following sanctions as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, flagged the potential issue to the Premier League and Football Association themselves.

UEFA announced last month it had been approached “proactively” by the club, who agreed to pay 10million euros (£8.57million) to Europe’s governing body after owning up to “incomplete financial reporting” between 2012 and 2019.

Chelsea said in a statement at the time their new owners became aware of potential impropriety when carrying out a “thorough due diligence process” prior to the purchase.

According to reports, no charges have yet been brought by the Premier League but, even though the allegations relate to a previous ownership, possible sanctions could include a fine or points deduction if the club are found guilty of any wrongdoing.

The PA news agency has contacted Chelsea and the Premier League for comment.

A late dig was not enough for Neah Evans as she missed out on the medals to surrender her title in the women’s points race at the UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow.

Less than twenty-four hours after winning the Madison crown alongside Elinor Barker, Evans found she was missing the extra kick she needed in a race won by Belgium’s Lotte Kopecky ahead of Australia’s Georgia Baker.

Evans started strong and had followed an attack from Kopecky and Baker midway through the race, looking to gain a lap on the field.

But the pair opened up a small gap to Evans, and while they could work together to pick up the points, Evans had to chase alone, putting in an effort that would cost her later on as she later lost the lap she had worked so hard to gain.

Evans then tried to go long to get the points she needed in the final sprint but could not respond to an attack from Japan’s Tsuyaka Uchino.

“The race didn’t quite go as I was hoping, so I tried to adapt,” Evans said. “I just tried to reset and relax and I relaxed too much. I think I didn’t have the usual zip in my legs.

“I thought, ‘oh, crap. I cannot close that gap that I normally can close easily’. It just changes the dynamic. I went much earlier in the final sprint that I would normally but I didn’t feel like I had the zap to sprint.

“I will have to go for a long one and I couldn’t hold on it, which I normally can. A pretty frustrating day. It is what it is, it’s bike racing.”

Kopecky had not raced in Monday’s Madison after her usual racing partner in the event, Shari Bossuyt, returned a positive test for the banned substance Letrozole in March.

Evans came into these worlds, on her home track in Glasgow, still suffering the effects of a training crash last week, the injuries still visible on her right leg.

Although that did not stop her and Barker winning in the Madison, she could not back it up a day later.

“Up to the crash, I was having a brilliant lead-in,” the 33-year-old said. “I thought, ‘I am going to be fine’, but then you have that little step up. You say it is not going to affect you, it won’t make any difference, but you know it is going to.

“At this level just a few watts missing is the difference between being able to close the gap or not. So is what it is.”

Evans was not involved in this week’s women’s team pursuit, in which Great Britain took a first world title since 2014, with the fight for selection hotting up a year out from the Paris Olympics.

“The thing with being part of British Cycling is we have amazing support and amazing structure but it also means we have some incredible riders,” she said. “So it is hugely competitive to get a spot on the start line.

“I’d like to think I am in the mix, definitely after the Madison, but a lot can happen within a year.”

Andy Murray is through to the second round of the National Bank Open after beating Lorenzo Sonego in Toronto.

The 36-year-old, who has won the title in Canada three times – most recently in 2015 – battled past Italian Sonego 7-6 (3) 6-0.

In a marathon first set, Murray had to save two set points at 5-4 on his own serve.

The Scot dropped the first two points of the ensuing tie-break but won the next six to take control and wrap up the set in 88 minutes.

If that opening set was a slog, the second was a breeze by comparison.

The first break of serve in the match went to Murray and he quickly backed it up with two more.

He converted his first match point in typical fashion, grinding Sonego down in a punishing rally, to secure the victory in two hours and nine minutes.

The New Orleans Saints are beefing up their roster just days ahead of their preseason opener.

The Saints plan to sign running back Kareem Hunt and linebacker Anthony Barr, pending the former Pro Bowlers pass their physicals.

The news was first reported Tuesday by Dianna Russini of ESPN, one day after both veteran free agents visited the team.

Hunt spent the past four seasons with the Cleveland Browns and joins a Saints team looking to find a suitable replacement for Alvin Kamara after the five-time Pro Bowl running back was suspended for the season's first three games for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy.

Jamaal Williams and rookie Kendre Miller are also in the mix to get the start in New Orleans' season opener against the Tennessee Titans on September 10.

The 28-year-old Hunt played in all 17 games last season as Nick Chubb's backup, rushing for 468 yards and three touchdowns on 123 carries for an average of 3.8 yards per attempt.

A third-round draft pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017, Hunt earned Pro Bowl honours and was named the 2017 Offensive Rookie of the Year, amassing career highs of 1,327 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns with 53 receptions for 455 receiving yards in his first year.

The 31-year-old Barr played in 14 games for the Dallas Cowboys in 2022, registering 58 total tackles and a sack, after spending his first eight pro seasons with the Minnesota Vikings.

A first-round pick by the Vikings in 2014, Barr has been selected to four Pro Bowls - most recently in 2018 - and is expected to help with linebacker depth after Andrew Dowell was lost for the season due to a torn ACL while Demario Davis is nursing a calf injury.

The Saints, who finished 7-10 last season to miss the playoffs for the second year in a row after winning four consecutive NFC South titles, play the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday in their preseason opener.

Caroline Wozniacki made a winning return to the court at the National Bank Open in Montreal, more than three years after bidding farewell to tennis.

The 33-year-old, who walked away from the sport following the 2020 Australian Open and has since had two children, looked like she had never been away as she swept past Australian qualifier Kimberly Birrell 6-2 6-2.

“It feels great, my first match back in over three years and I was definitely a little rusty,” she said on court. “But what an amazing place to come back to play my first match.”

Wozniacki was understandably nervous at the start and threw in two double faults on her way to dropping serve in the first game.

But with the breezy conditions making serving tricky, five of the first six games were breaks, with Wozniacki’s sole hold giving her the advantage and she wrapped up the opening set in 43 minutes.

The former world number one, who won the Australian Open in 2018, aims to be fully up to speed in time for the US Open later this month.

So she will have been pleased with the battling service holds she had to make as the plucky Birrell put her under pressure in the second set.

However, Wozniacki finished the job on her first match point, a backhand winner down the line before raising her arms in delight.

However, it is straight back to parental duties for the Dane following her first win as a mother.

“That’s pretty crazy,” she added. “I was just looking at the clock and my kids are napping now. That’s the good part about playing early – I still have the afternoon with them.”

Arsenal have agreed a deal to sign Brentford goalkeeper David Raya.

The PA news agency understands a fee of £30million has been agreed for the 27-year-old Spaniard, who is reported to be signing a five-year contract.

Raya will provide competition for established number one Aaron Ramsdale and the England international welcomes it.

“Bring it on. Nothing comes easy in football. At the same time you need to move along and adapt as well,” Ramsdale told ITV Sport.

“I’ve done it to other people when I’ve moved clubs so I’m not going to be thinking that it’s never going to happen to me.

“If it happens, it happens and then we’ll fight and we’ll make each other the best version of ourselves because that’s what the manager is telling us as well.

“And I’m sure whoever plays, me or whoever comes in, the goalkeeping union – people laugh at it but it’s a real thing – (means) your individual disappointment will go away.

“You will put the team first and you’ll put that goalkeeper first as well.”

Raya’s arrival will also signal the departure of United States goalkeeper Matt Turner to Nottingham Forest in a deal which could be worth up to £10m.

Kevin Ryan is planning to saddle both Triple Time and Hi Royal in the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville on Sunday.

Triple Time has been kept fresh since causing a 33-1 upset in the curtain-raising Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot and is firmly on course for a cross-Channel raid this weekend.

His younger stablemate Hi Royal was placed in both the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and the Irish Guineas at the Curragh in the spring, but never threatened to land a blow in last month’s Prix Jean Prat.

However, he too is being readied for a return to Deauville, with William Buick booked for the ride.

Ryan said: “Both horses are in good form, Triple Time was very good at Royal Ascot and I’m looking forward to running him again.

“Hi Royal has always been a very consistent horse other than his last start and he’s been working well.

“Neil Callan will obviously ride Triple Time and William Buick has become available and rides Hi Royal.”

Conditions have been testing recently but a dry week both here and in France should see the ground improve and Ryan is hopeful the going will not be an issue at the weekend.

He said: “It’s a dry week, the ground today was good to soft and I don’t think there’s any rain forecast – it should be drying out all the time.”

Ireland back-rower Jack Conan remains an injury concern ahead of the Rugby World Cup after missing his country’s week-long training camp in Portugal.

Andy Farrell’s squad flew to the Algarve on Monday but Conan remained in Dublin to rehabilitate the foot problem he sustained in the first half of Saturday’s 33-17 victory over Italy.

Head coach Farrell talked down the severity of the issue in the immediate aftermath of the match but will not discover the full extent of it until next week.

Ireland host England at the Aviva Stadium a week on Saturday, with Farrell scheduled to announce his final 33-man squad for France on Monday, August 28 following a final warm-up fixture against Samoa.

Defence coach Simon Easterby said: “You would have seen after the game that there were a couple of players carrying bumps.

“The only person that hasn’t travelled with us from the squad is Jack Conan. He’s stayed behind just to rehab and we hope to get more information on his injury next week.

“We’re still waiting on assessment and we decided that it would probably be best for him to stay back in Dublin.”

Leinster player Conan was pictured with his right foot in a protective boot after departing the field just before half-time against the Azzurri.

The 31-year-old last week spoke of having unfinished business at the World Cup after his trip to Japan in 2019 was ruined by a stress fracture in his foot.

Full-back Jimmy O’Brien and scrum-half Craig Casey also sustained injuries at the weekend but have travelled with the rest of the squad.

Ireland are preparing to play an unofficial training match against Portugal on Wednesday, which should be beneficial for suspended captain Johnny Sexton.

The 38-year-old fly-half, who has not played since sustaining a groin injury at the end of the Six Nations, cannot return to competitive action until his country’s World Cup opener against Romania on September 9 due to a three-match ban.

Easterby insists the session “isn’t a full-blown game”.

“It wouldn’t be the first time it happened,” said Easterby. “Often teams collaborate with other teams and get the opportunity to do some set-piece against each other and to run some backline against backline.

“It certainly isn’t a full-blown game. It’s a condition training session which has been a collaboration between the Portuguese coaches and ourselves around trying to create a training session which is slightly different from the norm.

“When you know each other so well and get the opportunity to train against each other for four or five weeks, you often cancel each other out in terms of what you try and do in attack and defence.

“I guess it’s one of those opportunities we had to connect up with the Portuguese to train against them and to challenge ourselves in way you wouldn’t normally do in a normal training week.

“He (Sexton) will be playing a part in the training session, for sure – as will every other player that’s here.”