Wolves remain in the hunt for Derby midfielder David Jones – but any talk of a deal being done is premature.
Derby are hopeful of selling the former Manchester United reserve this week as boss Paul Jewell looks to clear the decks.
The Rams are looking to recoup the £1.1m they paid for the 23-year-old in January, 2007. And the path appears to be clear for Wolves to sign the former England under-21 international, who is a former Old Trafford reserves team-mate of striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake.
Preston, the other club linked with Jones – and where he played 24 games on loan in 2005-06 – are short of cash and their priorities lie elsewhere, with a centre-half and left-winger top of their list.
Left-footed Jones is a creative midfielder, offering something Wolves have been accused of lacking.
A report yesterday which said a deal had been completed for Jones to come to Wolves is wide of the mark.
The same story had Wolves signing Leicester’s former Derby striker Steve Howard, but this, too, is premature.
Boss Mick McCarthy has been linked before with the former Luton target man, but sources in the east Midlands say no deals will be done until manager Ian Holloway’s future is resolved following their relegation to League One.
Howard only moved to the Walkers Stadium in January and has three years on his contract.
Wolves midfielder Seyi Olofinjana believes ‘fine tuning’ is all that’s needed to turn the team into genuine promotion challengers next season.
“The foundations are all there, it’s just a case of some fine tuning,” said the Nigerian. “The players are developing and the future is very bright.”
* Reports in the north east today said Sunderland had had Olofinjana and Ebanks-Blake watched.
Olofinjana’s future remains unclear after he said at the end of the season he needed to clarify things with the management.
Loading ...
72 Comments
Cant wait for the season to start im bored already!!!
What does George need to clarify?? He is lazy and I think the few games he played when he realised his place was under threat from Edwards, shows he can do it but cant be bothered. Great when in posession but useless when not. All he does is wander in space!
I would sell George and bring in Jones. As for Howard, I dont think so…
Howard…Jones… for goodness sake Morgan, do you call this progress.pretty obvious with you at the helm that we are going nowhere.
What about Lee Carsley?
He wants to move back to the midlands.
I’ll take that Back, Mcarthy has done well, compared to the state of the team from when he took over, and doing well in the transfer markets already. Blake, kightly, jarvis, elkobi, foley, keogh. I also think Jones would be very good for our progress, as he is the sort of centre midfielder we need!
I wouldnt sign Steve Howard for my Mixers side who btw are third in the league.
More second rate strickers linked when we need a new back line. MM’s failure rate to buy talent is evedent he’s put nearly all his previous signings back on the market what does that tell you.
Not happy MM is still at the helm I thought Morgan had more about him than to keep this looser at the club.
I remember this Jones lad being very highly thought of at Derby, whats happened??
At least Mick is looking at the department where you struggled most last year, creativity.
oh look, already moaning. Both players have been promoted, thats right, both players were effective in derby getting promoted from this division. So how exactly do u propose we get into the premiership then JIWAL? go and buy premiership talent? where from? at what cost?
if we spend 2 million to bring in howard and jones that is far more productive then spending 4/5million on a premiership player on premiership wages…
think about it lads.
These signings are good for our goal, getting out of this division. lets worry about the rest later.
Just read on the tx Lee Carsley has become available from Everton, what a good signing he would be, an experienced, aggressive, attacking, midfielder just what we need.
5. Nice U-turn there JIWAL! but your exactly right!
Seyi is one of the best midfielders in our league, we just dont play him correctly, story of micks reign
JIWAL,what you on about? Its MM’s job to identify players and Morgan’s job to stump up the dosh. Any signings made will be down to MM’s judgement. God help us all!
Dont buy him, we have Henry and Olofinjana and Edwards.. Jones will just be the next Rosa. sign some defenders, Ramage, Carr, Sagnol, they all sound good to me, and get Kalou to replace donkey keogh.
IMO the club would like Olofinjana to stay but if a premiership club offered £3m for him they’d let him go.
No.3 and No.5 , well thats the best advertisement of the fickle wolves fan ever!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jones would be a good signing. Stop the talk and get on with it.
I disagree with George saying that the foundations are in place. With Ward, Breen and Edwards put on the list, we need central defenders. I don’t want Collins anywhere near the first team!
Eddie i think your wrong he is a good player he desperately needs somebody to play along side him. Once again if this is the best we can do i give up.
I agree that the team needs few additions but these need to be QUALITY players. Pay 3 - 5 million for 3 players rather than a player who scored something like 4 goals in 25 appearances and a guy who has question mark over whether he can perform week in week out obviously Paul Jewell doesn’t think so. REMEMBER how many players we signed last year that wasn’t wanted by the club they were at.
Agree with comment 4 , Carsley is exactley what we need.
yeh thanks for the person who wrote that piece on number 5 , it wasnt even me!
Go back and get Joe Ledley from Cardiff. I know we have been there before, but try again. He is a talent we could do with. Consider Sinclair on loan at CP and with Chelsea, also another talent. Howard is just a short term fix and at 32 is probably has another 3/4 season at Championship level left in his tank.
We need more goals in the team. This is obvious from looking at last seasons effort. The defence needs shoring up big time with the outgoings.
Spirite Wolf:
I take your point. George is quality and I dont think anybody could possibly deny it. However, I feel the man rarely gives 100%. Just my opinion!
get john irving in from everton £1m will test the water!!, young speedy defender,captain of the reserves, reserve player of the year for last two seaons,former u16 international player….if they do come knocking for any of our player include him in any deal mick!!
Sign David Jones from Derby, we don’t have his calibre of creative midfielder, he came through the books at Man Utd and was inspirational when Derby got promoted.
Victim of Jewell’s mad transfer policy at Derby, let their loss be our gain!
http://www.oldgoldandblack.blogspot.com/
Look he couldn’t even get in that showers team and Jewel doesn’t rate him so whats he going to do for us in a positive sense ?????
NOTHING just put him up for sale at the end of the season
(14)
Are you on something?
Get Kalou - Surely you are joking - Players like Kalou are NOT ever going to consider coming to a championship club, EVER.
Just another excuse for you to have a moan/whinge.
Shrewswolf
You’ve forgotten that after getting Derby into the Premiership, Howard was offloaded to Leicester and he struggled to keep his place in a team that went down to League 1! Sadly, he’s a Robert Taylor clone and signing him would be a waste of any resources.
On David Jones, I’m happier but would still need to ask why he’s good enough for us but not Derby!
Personally, I would rather sign people who are definitely good enough for the Championship and possibly Premiership quality given time than players who may be good enough for the Championship and who would have to be offloaded if we did get promotion.
14 Billwolf.
Keep up mate, Ramage has gone to QPR. Seems we could not afford his pay demands.
Pile ‘em high, sell ‘em low. That worked for Woolworths! Might yet work for Wolves. (But I don’t think so). Good players cost good money. They know if they are good or not and demand the wage the market wiil bear.So it looks like we are stuck with the young and inexperienced or dross.
Up The Wolves.
Must start reading these blogs more carefully thought we were about to sign Howard Jones only people over a certain age will get this
Not convinced with this signing but he may be able to put a shift in.
Olifinjana will go but as long as Mark Davies is fit and given his chance then who cares. Whats more important for Wolves is getting in two centre backs.
I agree with 12. Olofinjana is not played in the (offensive) role he does best. He would have scored many more goals if he was. I believe that was what he wanted to talk to MM about, but MM want change his system so maybe Oli leaves.
Jones looks like a good midfielder. Howard looks better then Kyle but Lafferty would be my choice. I don’t think it’s easy to get highly rated PL players to play for us, unfortunately. MM must try to build a good team from the talent we have and can get hold of. Our central defence must get stronger. That should be priority one.
14. BillWolf, I think you’ve been playing football manager too long, we wouldn’t get Sagnol, correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t he from Bayern Mucich? And as for Kalou, your on about Bonaventure Kalou from PSG aren’t you? Kalou is that good, PSG only just finished above relegation!! Why are people saying we need an attacking midfielder? We have Dave Edwards, he was doing a good job until he got injured against Preston. We need a couple of young pacy centre halves and a good holding midfielder, I just don’t think Henry could do a job for us. I think Seyi could be trained as a good holding midfielder, he’s strong, he’s not slow, can tackle when he wants lol it’s just getting him to perform every match.
Notts Wolf: Kalou’s brother you silly person! Not soloman! *rolls eyes*
Steve Howard played his football last season for Derby County and Leicester City. That says it all for me.
1 - jones yes
2 - howard yes / but not for 1m! how many 30+ strikers we signed for 1m+ have any of them been good? 500k seems fair price
3- “clarify” - the cheek of the player, he has done nothing to help us all season we got 1m then just ditch the over rated donkey
“Good players cost good money.” If it were that easy we’d have been promoted years ago when SJH was throwing his money around. Unfortunately it’s not that simple as the years spent in The Championship have proved. Think back to all the so-called big name players on big time wages who came here - and failed.
If he aint good enough for Derby, why are we after him?
OH ????
I was hoping it was the other Dave Jones
making a return LOL.
Now if it was Jones and Carsley rumoured that would be a sign of strengthening.
Not so sure of Howard.
Again wasnt he rumoured last pre season before choosing leicester ?
Comment 26 SPOT ON! Howard is useless, a leicester fan I know would be deleighted if he went! Says alot doesnt it.
We need that was evident last season, but why are we going for these players who could not hack it in the premiership.
This is a big pre-season for wolves MM needs to get it right. Promotion or bust or shud i say ” no further progress”
Eddie wolf i understand where your comming from but i would like to see how he’d play with a quality creative midfied player along side him. Infact him and Edwards looked quite good for the few minutes before he went off injured.
Do you agree with this buying policey because it does not make sense or seem to be a club with ambition.
Jones no thanks and Howard he’s fat and slow now.
Notts wolf (25) comment 14 was referring to kalou’s older brother who we’ve also been linked with.
26. point noted, although i still think howard could do it at this level, and his hat trick not so long ago does prove that.
14. come on? kalou? champions league final? is that a joke?
and sagnol, a french internaitonal prob on 50k a week?
lets have some realism here!
Make sure anyone we sign knows to never,ever talk to the press to moan about being left out of the side or about other players! Witness Breen & Eastwood………
Steve Howard would be a waste of money.
£3 million for Olofinjana - take it now!
We need a centre back as a priority and hopefully someone with pace.
We also need a creative midfield player. David Jones? don’t know this guy, but if he was a Man U academy player he would have to have something.
No 28. Glad I wasn’t the only one. Wasn’t his big hit “No one ever is to blame!!!”
We’ll have to spell it out for the dimwits in charge of our club;
G.E.T K.E.V.I.N P.H.I.L.I.P.S….
4, 10 & 19 Carsley has offers from West Brom, Derby and Birmingham so forget about him (yes I am a Wolves fan)
As i see it to get some more of the X Man U young players is OK by me But we need top defenders Young Fast And Good In The Air STOP THE GOALS GOING IN WIN GAMES
During the final weeks of last season Paul Jewell said, often enough, he could accept the players he inherited were not good enough, but would not accept they had no heart and no fight in them. At the end he publicly stated most of them would never play for him again.
Anyone who buys Derby players cannot have two brain cells to rub together!
As to the Howard rumour, I’ve only got one word to say….Grump.
One grump is worth two boings any day of the week.
28 and 44
The big hit was “What is love anyway?” to which the answer has to be the passion we fans have for a consistently under-achieving football team!
His other hit was “Pearl in the Shell” which I suppose is that elusive summer signing which will make all the difference!
Surely players of better quality than both Jones and Howard can be found to give us a realistic chance of automatic promotion next season Like other posters surely the prority is two young improving pacy central defenders
i no im probly going to get my head bitten off for this but offer kevin philips the contract he wants because he obviusly doesnt want tot be at a pre side so lets get him and kick off .
and if mcarthy wants any sort of support next season he cant go around signing players that cost 1 mil that are 32 i mean come on we dont need a target man it makes you play hoof football . but if we did get kyle laffety his is quality.
and im not surer about this jones fella kus i think we dont need him with oli and dave edwards in cm bkus lets b honest olifinjana is on of a few players at wolves who takes my breath away . the reast are
hennassy seb kightly elokobi jarvis and dave edwars.
i support from afar and watch the live text comentry on AOL. In almost all games whether against top or bottom clubs Wolves had less shots at goal. What does that tell you. Need quick tougher more mobile midfield and better defenders.
Less goals against and a better goal diference.
Cos the law of averages says he who has most shots scores more goals
Howard Jones ? Good singer but surely he is too old ? Rick Astley wouldn’t be a bad signing not so sure about Nik Kershaw.
“the midfield just needs fine tuning” Ive never heard such rubbish.
I spoke to a Derby county season ticket holder at work and he said David Jones is a very good player, has been great for Derby. Only reason he can think of for letting the lad go is that Jewell wants a completely new team.
Would be a good signing!
10 Laura, When was Lee Carsley EVER an attacking midfielder ??
He would be a good signing but I doubt we’d pay him the money he’ll demand……..but an attacker he ain’t.
Howard in, eastwood out is typical McCarthy thinking. The Manager has no idea of how to take the club forward.
47) Right on ! QPR are going to be unbeatable with the players they’re after… we should atleast try and beat em to it.
Come on Morgan, flash the cash !
Interesting point North East Wolf (No 29) but I think we might do better going for Martin Fry,Alison Moyet or Boy George.(Not Olifinjana or Elokobi.)
Hang on, i seem to recall that Jones was been raved about when derby went up and because Paul Jewell is a complete burke doesnt mean he aint any good, he wasnt given a chance when Jewell took over.
and can we finally confirm to the nimrods on here that its Bonaventure Kalou not Soloman Kalou for christ sakes, you have no idea how thick some of you are sounding on here!!!
19 Carsley will go to the boggies,and hopfully Olofinyana will go anyware.if we dont get three defenders we are going anyware.
“Wolves chase Midfield Star”
Thats an extremely creative headline, does anyone seriously think Dave Jones is a midfield star? If so check any Derby forum and you will receive your answer!
carsley gone to brum, so he’s off the list. we need two defenders before we go lookin for anything else. why look for attack midfield when u got gobern, mark davis an gleeson to come back.
Carsley has signed for Birmingham ( Blues Fan from birth!)
Steve Howard scores goals ( three against Sandwell) and leading goalscore when Derby got promoted.
David Jones is a skillful midfield player doesn’t suit Paul Jewell’s style.
Cut outthe negative-itis its only May. Football contracts end on June 30th, plenty of time fot ‘activity’
Support the Wolves
david jones has signed
Chris R (37) on “good players cost good money.” I know where you’re coming from, but two points:
1) unfortunately, spending good money does not guarantee a good buy–that was one problem under Hayward–e.g., Atkins and Akinbiyi;
2) getting Ince, Rae, Kennedy, Irwin, etc., DID succeed and we made the Prem–the problem was underinvesting after that.
If we need to buy anyone from Derby it must be Kenny Miller as we know he can score goals
I think the Wolves fans have to be realistic this season.You finished outside the playoffs so there will be 6 teams that will be ahead of you in the pecking order for players in the championship.You may be able to find some gems like Mowbray did at the albion although i think going for a derby player is a bit unimaginative.
Its strange that there hasnt been a history of the Albion loaning out some of our fringe players to you lot, especially now we are in 2 seperate leagues.Come to think of it there isnt much of that between the midlands clubs, although we loaned Moore last season.
I actually thought that you lot would do really well with mm….I have no idea what happened. As a genuine question to wolves fans…do you think there is something behind the scenes at the club that is tripping you up? mm is a good manager and you have a good chairman so what is wrong?
MICK WILL PROBABLY SIGN HIM THEN REALISE HE DOESNT FIT INTO OUR STYLE OF PLAY.