Wolves have confirmed their interest in Bobo Balde – but Mick McCarthy says the Celtic defender must slash his pay demands to move to Molineux.
Balde is available on a free transfer as Celtic look to drop his £28,000 a week salary from their wage bill for the final year of his contract.
McCarthy has been searching for another centre-half all summer after releasing Gary Breen and is a big admirer of Balde.
He said: “I enquired about him as to his availability before the end of last season.
“I watched Celtic against Rangers and I just asked the question then what his financial position was.
“He’s got a year on his contract left and he’s been told he is available on a free, but nothing’s happening.
“He’s always been someone I’ve liked because he’s a big, powerful centre-half.”
McCarthy admits Balde’s package makes a transfer unlikely, while the player seems to be happy to sit out the final 12 months of his contract.
He said: “We don’t pay that kind of money – we’re not in that pay league, so it’s a non-starter in that sense.
“He has options. He can stay and take the money or he can move on and take less, play and have a longer contract.
“I’m not saying we’ve moved on or anything. I haven’t pursued it any further, but I’ve registered my interest. There would have to be a lot of movement for anything to happen.”
Signed by Martin O’Neill on a free from Toulouse in 2001, the Guinean international has made 233 appearances for Celtic, but only 14 in the last two seasons, four of which came in 2007-08.
Balde’s wages are around three times that of Wolves’ top earner and an option to go Birmingham, who are also rumoured to be interested, may be more realistic.
Six foot three Balde, 32, replaced Gary Caldwell for the last half hour of Celtic’s 1-1 with Middlesbrough in Faro, Portugal last night.
Another defender, transfer-listed Rob Edwards won’t be travelling out to Scotland to join Wolves after injuring his ankle at Chasetown last Friday.
He said: “Rob has rocked his ankle. We’re no closer to anyone going but I think there will be movement before the start of the season.”
67 Comments
Got a good feeling about this one.
definate nonstarter, no way would any 1 take the massive paycut 2 come in line with the wolves pay structure and who could blame him??
Get him in mick “the missing piece of the jigsaw”
Why won’t we pay good wages? There’s a £60million pot waiting if we get to the Premiership,full house every game and a stadium expansion.
Stewart (1) do you know the exact details of the pay structure at Wolves?
I suspect not, therefore how on earth can you make statements?
If the guy wants to come “on a free” then I suspect by saving the transfer fee a deal could be struck!
Worse than Collins. Steer well clear.
14 games in 2 seasons, I dont want him soaking up abot £10k a week sitting in the stands.
He is big slow and well past his sell by date.
Move on or live in regret
non statrter,non story.
agree this is a non starter, lets move on.
Its one thing spending some money to get us promotion but paying this sort of money would not be a positive thing for the team morale overall.
If McCarthy kicks out the “dead wood” of bothroyd, elliot, potter & co then we can afford the wages on a 2 year contract, Permitting Balde wants to sign & is willing to cut some of the £28k!
Bringing in a player who is forced to slash his wages is not a great start, seriously look elsewhere!
PS.. Hope we do McGhee & the mothers over 2nite!!
Move on, we’ve been here before, players coming to the end of their career after one final pay day, past his best now anyway
Too old too expensive
We dont want Balde.
Look for more faster younger Central defenders.
Stearman was a very clever signing, look for someone along those lines!
As for the rumour about Langmead from Shrews, that must have come from an WBA fan because that is a complete joke if we signed him, he is league 2 at best.
Wolves to finish 4′th next season!
Yeah, let’s sign a centre half who has played 14 games in two seasons. Does make a whole lot of sense! Yet ignore current talent in this league. Where’s the ambition here? Why not splash out and actually take a gamble for once.
Optimistic Wolf - We do pay good wages 8-10K per week for our top players is fair whack for a championship side. Why would we pay 15-20K for Balde when that would only serve to let the rest of the squad feel underpaid. Would we consider him as important to us as a Kightly or SEB? That’s what paying him his asking rate would suggest.
A decent player, certainly for the Championship but it’s not going to happen.
Won’t happen. He is not going to come at those wages. This is the reason that we are attracting young, hungry players.
I am quietly confident for our chances this season but I have serious concerns if we made the Premier and our top wage earner is on £9,000 a week. No wonder we could not get Carsley.
Time to look at Premiership loan signings like Jack Hobbs(Liverpool), although he must have played a part in their friendly last night and has been quoted as setting his sights on the first team! Won’t happen with the 4 they have in front of him, apart from the League Cup!
No.6
I agree entirely.
Dreams can come true optimistic wolf.
No thanks, Birmingham are welcome to him
he was rubbish in his prime and hes past it now i cant believe im saying this but Collins is better
i hope we stay well clear
we need a centre half but not him
4. If we do pay players that kind of money and we DON’T get promoted, we still have to pay their big wages, there’s no £60 million pot waiting for us, there’s no full house every week and no ground expansion.
We’d very quickly be in debt.
This is why Morgan and Moxey run the club, not you mate.
Besdies, Balde has hardly played recently and, judging by comments made from Celtic fans i know, he’s rubbish. Persoanlly, I’ve seen enough of him to comment.
Slow,cant defend, cant tackle, cant pass, sounds like what we’ve already got, mc carthy has to go, me and my mates have got our tickets for the plymouth game and we will be making our feelings known if we go behind, we are heading for league 1 and just as bad i can see albion staying up and b’ham going up.
No pride left in Wolves or in Wolverhampton anymore- our football team and city are a laughing stock throughtout the country, we are seen as the pits but sadly thats exactly what we are, time for some realism on here rather than deluded do-gooders
I’m bald and called ‘baldy’ so will happily play for a grand a game if the other greedy so in so doesn’t want to!!!!
Oh yes…. going DOWN the Mowbray way!!!!!!!
The only way I can see him coming is if Celtic agree to pay a chunk of his wages - perhaps 65% and we pay 35%. They will still be out of pocket but less so than if he sat on the sidelines. Plus they could ask for a pay out if we go up as a way of recouping. Blues are even less likely to take him than we are because their wage bill will be too high as it is. Lower premier league teams like WBA, Hull and Stoke won’t want to know, as at 32 has he the pace for the Premier League? Given that Celtic play very few games where the centre backs are under any real pressure and the fact that the SPL is more like Championship or League 1 I can’t see any Premier League team gambling on him. Celtic won’t want to pay a chunk of his wages but I think that may have to bite the bullet. Whatever, Wolves won’t want to pay him anymore than our top earner as it will upset the rest of the squad. Saying all this, is he any good?
14 games in 2 seasons!!
I don,t think so Mick.
Get young Mark Beevers from Sheffield Wednesday.
(4) Look at leeds
Mag to grid this idea sharpish!! He’ll be a millstone around Micks neck if he comes here with massive wage demands.
If we’re going to get some experience at the back then it needs to be from someone who’s still some mileage in them.
would anyone change jobs for a third of the salary ?
If we arent prepared to offer the money lets not make ourselves look silly this way
13) Of course they can. If it happens to our neighbours with a much smaller fanbase, worse ground and ??? owners, it can happen to us!
to old to slow let the blue noses have him
(4) The stadium EXPANSION as outlined by Morgan is a complete non starter on the existing site.
The only way we would ever get a 40,000 seater intimidating stadium is custom designed, custom built, OUTSIDE OF THE CITY.
Mag to grid this idea sharpish!! He’ll be a millstone around Micks neck, if he comes it’ll just be a payday for him.
If we are going to get an experienced defender in, it needs to be someone who still has a bit of mileage left in them.
too old too slow too expencesive he will sit out his last 12 months £15000 a week contact
NO NO NO …….too slow, too old, and over-rated
really think we should give this one a miss. too old, and games I’ve seen him in looks a bit ropey. Besides he’ll onlybe looking for the money and coming down from £28k would be a no starter. NEXT …
28k a week big money hed have to practically half that cant see it!
If we are not paying a transfer fee surely we can afford to pay him a little above the rate for one season. If that gets us up great business, if not we dont have to keep him. Whats the problem?
Up The Wolves
17)I take it you’re talking about Birmingham City?
Yeah, let’s spend over £1.5m, plus bonuses, plus signing on fee on a dreadful defender with absolutely zero resale value. Capital idea.
23. The problem is Cornish Wolf, how would you feel if someone new came to work with you and was commanding 4 times your salary for doing exactly the same job, but he was older and slower than you, and there was no chance that you would ever earn the same as him, because of the salary structure in place at your company?
In Oz each of our teams are allowed one ‘marquee’ signing. This player is allowed to effectively be paid whatever it takes. There are players here on 14k sterling whereas Dwight Yorke was paid around 2million. This sort of system may work for Wolves. What do you think?
5
Rob
If u cant work out the wolves pay structure knowing that a certain bone idle striker of ours is on 8k a week then ur not trying, mind u i cant understand y u think he should be at the wolves anyway, injury prone and over the hill imo
21. Yes….exactly. 28k x say 50 weeks = 1.4M with no transfer fee. It’s only the equivalent of 1M + 400k wages which some of our players are probably getting.
He maybe past his best…which is why we have a shot at getting him. But he’s the experienced pro that Mick’s looking for. I think get him if he’s still agile enough.
Simon
hes known as bobo the clown in those parts enough said next!
Here Mick Take A Look At These:
Mick Don’t Go Paying £12k+ A Week For Some Old Slow Donkey From Celtic ..
Have A Look Of Some Of These Below !!
We Need 2 Defenders:
A.GERRARD 22 CB WALSALL FREE ( BOSMAN FEE APPLYS )
** CRACKING PLAYER AND ON A FREE .. GET HIM IN NOW **
M.BEEVERS 18 CB SHEF WED £2.25M
E.WARD 23 CB COVENTRY £1.5M
M.KILGALLON 23 CB SU £1M
A.BRUCE 23 CB IPSWICH £1M
D.SHITTU 27 CB WATFORD £1.5M
We Need 1 Centre Midfielder:
O.GARVAN 20 CM IPSWICH £1.5M
M.ELLIOTT 23 CM BRISTOL £2M
B.HOWARD 25 CM BARNSLEY £2M
B.WATSON 23 CM CP £2M
T.SOARES 22 CM CP £1.5M
G.BARNES 19 RM+CM DER £3M
We Also Need 1 Striker:
C.JEROME 21 ST BIRMINGHAM £3M ** CRACKING PLAYER .. WORTH THE MONEY .. QUALITY **
M.CHOPRA 24 ST SUNDERLAND £3M
N.MAYANRD 21 ST CREWE £1.5M
Hope This Helps Mick
UP THE WOLVES !!
46. The Mighty Wanderer. LOSER, GET A LIFE and go back to playing football manager by yourself every night
Balde would be as big a waste of time as Hartson was when he , dont do it!
Not again Mick?Another player we want but are told he`s too expensive.Do you really want these players Mick or is it talk to pacify the fans .I know what I think it is.By the way Mick have you started to list your excuses yet for the season ahead,don`t want you getting all flustered when you fluff your lines.What a shambles and the season ain`t started yet.
Cheers Mick McCarthy for Effing up the Wolves!!
42 BrisVegasWolf
There’s a world of difference. It’s a great part of the world you live in but its not the hub of the footballing universe. The average footballer earns about the same as a skilled electrician and the crowds are generally the same size as our none league clubs. These big name has-beens are paid the money to bring in the punters not for football reasons. Generally speaking - and there are exceptions, it never works.
If it were my money I’d want to spend it on a cheaper commodity that will gain value and not need to be cast into the trash can in a year or so. So more signings of the young and hungry type please.
39) Albion or Blues… they share a lot of things :-
£10 in and kids for a quid
Both in Birmingham
Like each other
Poor support and ground
i think there is no way he will come to wolves.
my reason being money!!!this player has thought it better to sit on his bum at celtic for the last 12 months (was not even being used as a sub)taking his huge salary £20000 a week, he was told not in strachans plans but refused a move to several clubs one being sunderland as they were all offering less money.
he is a no nonsense defender big tough and won’t get pushed around. many celtic fans like that but he does make terrible mistakes now and then and in the champions league he has cost goals and points. but i am sure he would do well in the championship.
he would have to take a massive pay cut, celtic want his wages off there budget, i wonder how fit is he as his only games have been in african nations etc and the very occasional game for celtic. it is two seasons ago thet he was playing regularly.
will be at motherwell tonight (just 20minutes away woo hoo). come on the wolves
Transfer rumour - have heard that Ronald McDonald wants to sign for Wolves in defence. Will fit in nicely don’t you agree?
23 Realist Wulfrunian:
‘me and my mates have got our tickets for the plymouth game and we will be making our feelings known if we go behind…’
Well arent you clever?!?
What about Mark Beevers. Young, hungry expensive but cheap wages. Quality no nonsense defender. However all we need is someone better than collin which shouldn’t be to hard to find
#46, well nice #’s BUT Morgan won’t spent unless its well under that. No future profit in the deal then. It’s all he is interested, anyone say football?
Balde? More chance of kissing the Pope under this regime.Hopeless from top to bottom.
Regarding Prawn Sandwich number 50.
You got some things wrong mate. Brisbane Roar average crowd last season was over 13000 and I don’t think there are many non league teams in England with that number.
u honestly think ur goin up hahaha
well be boing boining in the premier league another season wivout playin against a pub team haha
47. Hartson was great, well at least from 12 yards v u lot!! lol..
Anyone heard from worester - dingle?? Prob out milking the cows or cleaning his windows in his nice big 5 bedroomed house!!!
By the way, did you all know he earns 72k?????
Jockey…
number 23 you are a donkey.
It is really incredible that so many of the WWFC supporters are able to travel all the way to Scotland to watch Celtic play. It is good though that so many can offer such criticsm of a player
that MM appears to be interested in. Why have paid scouts when advice can be offered for free?
balde was good a few years ago but believe me he will do nothing for your defence his legs have gone but he will cost you lots in wages.If somehow you could get the balde of 3-4 years ago you would have a great defender but with age catching up with him he is slow and takes him a long time to turn.
#53, we already have Ronald McDonald in disguise, he manages the team…
Wolves can’t afford his wages , LOL. Small time club. Small time budget. Small time season ticket sales. Everything about Wolves screams “Small club”
32 Try the old Good year site - Brownfield site plenty of room for shopping/ leisure complex etc etc Government funding - anything’s possible
65. Except we’ve got a bigger fan base than the Boggies.