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All indications point to Freddy Eastwood’s transfer to Coventry finally going ahead – with the striker pulled from Wolves’ first pre-season friendly to avoid injury and Sky Blues boss Chris Coleman declaring the £1.2m deal isn’t dead.

The deal to take the former Southend striker to the Sky Blues has remained deadlocked for two weeks because of a dispute over settlement on Eastwood’s contract.

Now it looks as if there may be an end to the matter, so much so that Wolves’ boss Mick McCarthy is refusing to risk Eastwood at Wrexham on Saturday.

He said: “Freddy won’t play a part on Saturday at all. As far as I’m aware, he’s going to Coventry.

“Chris Coleman was on Sky TV this morning saying he wants to sign him, so I’m not speaking out of turn.

“It would be madness of me to take him to Wrexham and play him for 45 minutes, for him to get kicked and pick up an injury.

“If he’s leaving anyway and I’m not going to play him, then I might as well not take him.

“I might as well take someone who is going to be involved.”

The main focus of the dispute had been a dispute over the settlement of Eastwood’s contract.

Wolves maintain they have done all they are prepared to do to make the transfer happen.

They are refusing to budge any more on their side of the deal and have tried to persuade Eastwood’s advisors that they should accept Sky Blues’ terms, or risk more frustration at Molineux.

Eastwood has been offered a four-year contract which matches his Molineux wages, with the chance to earn more with appearance money and bonuses, plus a settlement on his Wolves deal.

Yet Coleman has dropped a hint of encouragement that Eastwood can still become a Sky Blues player.

He said: “I wouldn’t say it’s finished but it has gone quiet. But football being football, who knows?

“It could happen tomorrow or it might never happen, I don’t know.

“It’s public knowledge that he’s someone I have liked, especially the way we’d like to play because I think he’d be good.

“As of yet, nothing has happened, but we’ve still got a bit of time. We were pretty close at one point with that particular deal, but it never worked out, but you never say never.”

Eastwood is one of seven players transfer-listed by boss Mick McCarthy at the end of last season.

But as yet, the 24-year-old is the only player who appears close to a move.

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