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Wolverhampton Wanderers
Posted by Daniel Pountney on 01/11/2010

The West Ham game was called off and so I missed my Wolves fix at the weekend.
Only some speculation about who might arrive in the transfer window will stop me getting the shakes and coming out in cold sweats.
So here are some of the players we're definitely in for, some we're rumoured to be in for and a few that I wish we were in for.

STEPHEN HUNT
We've got a £3 million bid lodged for the winger. Phil Brown is adamant that Hunt is going nowhere. However, Hull need to shed around £8 million from their annual wage bill. Mick McCarthy has made no secret of his desire to strengthen on the wings and Hunt has been outstanding for the Tigers this season. Wolves have put the bid on the table and are hoping to make the cash-strapped board cut a deal. It is thought that Hunt would fancy the move too because of the Reading and Irish connections in the squad.
DO WE WANT HIM?: Five goals this season, 100 per cent commitment in every game . . . YES!


JERMAINE BECKFORD
Newcastle are favourites so sign up the Leeds forward according to the papers and they have had a £1.25 million offer turned down. Wolves have made an official enquiry though so it could come down to who puts up the cash. Beckford will be sold because his contract expires soon and Leeds don't want to lose him for nothing. He's untested in the Premier League but has a phenomenal goal record in the lower divisions.
DO WE WANT HIM?: 74 goals in 129 games, we certainly do. But it would have to be at the right price and I would go up to £1.5 million. Remember, Freddie Eastwood came with similar hype and failed to deliver.


FODE MANSARE
The Tolouse winger's trial had to be postponed due to the snow in Wolverhampton. He'll be back soon though for another go. The French papers describe him as an unpredictable winger who struggles for consistency. That's why Wolves are looking at a loan deal with an option to buy.
DO WE WANT HIM?: Watch his highlights on YouTube and he looks like he's got real quality. Whether he can do that stuff every week in the best league in the world is another matter. I'm sceptical but a loan deal would be perfect.


KEVIN KILBANE
Possibly more agent-driven paper talk when we were linked with the veteran Hull player. He used to play for Albion for goodness sake! But the speculation was serious enough to draw a denial from the Hull chairman.
DO WE WANT HIM?: No, why would we? Can a player of his age who can't get in to the Hull side justify his place on our wage bill? I think not.


CRAIG GARDNER
The versatile Villa midfielder was suggested as a McCarthy target in pre season but Martin O'Neill was keen to keep him. This month he has suggested that he would be willing to sell. Gardner won't come cheap though and newly wealthy Bormingham are also sniffing around. The question is whether Mick will part with around £3 million for a player who has hardly had a kick all season.
DO WE WANT HIM?: A fully fit Gardner would be a great addition to almost any squad in the Premier League so I think he is worth the risk. Let's face it, if he was a regular starter for Villa he would be out of or reach. The glut of good midfielders at Villa gives us a rare chance to aquire such a good player.


ADAM JOHNSON
Another winger who Mick has made no secret of his interest in. The Middlesborough youngster has been sensational this season. He scored goals from the wing, takes and great free kick and comes from a long line of top quality youth players at The Riverside who have gone on to better things.
DO WE WANT HIM?: It's early days but Johnson has the potential to become one of the best players in the country. So yes, splash the cash.


JAMIE O'HARA
The Tottenham midfielder is combative but skillful and has a great delivery. On loan at Portsmouth, he has been their best player and is only returning to White Hart Lane because of the transfer embargo. Harry likes a deal so it could be a go-er. Pundits in the Midlands are saying Mick wants O'Hara, but for the wing, whereas he wants to play a central role. The other sticking point is that we would need special dispensation fron the FA to allow him to play for a third club this season.
DO WE WANT HIM?: Another with 100 per cent commitment and real ability. Plus, another opportunity to benefit from the misfortune of another club. I'd take O'Hara in a heartbeat.

Comments

Posted by Bournemouth Wolf on 01/11/2010

Take O'Hara in a heartbeat - If we lose Henry then we definitely need a Joe Ledley (Not mentioned in this piece), he is creative and scores goals.
Stephan Hunt we definitely need, but probably wont get because Hull wont let him go. He would be great for the team and would provide some more goals, I like his cavalier style he would add an ingredient we need and we should have signed him with Doyle earlier. We should go for Beckford, I remember seeing Defoe playing for Bournemouth when he was on loan and he scored tons of goals as he did when he moved up the league, not saying Beckford would and he is a lot older, but worth the risk..

Adam Johnson we should also get if possible he has talent and will go places - probably to Sunderland as that is where he was from originally - as in born and bred. We need him though!! :-)

Posted by WolvoWolf on 01/11/2010

Beckford is an unknown quantity and stepping up to the PL from League 1 is a big risk. We don't need players to become acclimatised, we have enough players doing that already, so for me Beckford would be a no-go!
Gardner, O'Hara and Johnson would be on my 'certs list' and to get them we must splash out, they will not come for peanuts and their clubs won't accept peanuts either!
Hunt would be an excellent addition to the team but why would Hull sell one of their best players? That would be as good as raising the white flag and already accepting relegation - their supporters would be furious, as I would be if a Hull fan!
Out of all of those mentioned the chances of signing even 1 of them is slim but hopefully 1 or 2 or more of them will be arriving at Molineux soon for talks with Mick!

Posted by Cashmiir on 01/13/2010

We will have Hunt & Beckford permanent, with O'Hara on loan and one other shock loan (with option to buy at the end of the season) before the window is closed. The shock loan will surprise everyone.

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