Wolves’ tug of war over Gary Hooper
Thursday 27th May 2010, 11:00AM BST.
Wolves could be involved in a tug of war with Wigan £2.5million-rated Scunthorpe striker Gary Hooper- if talks for £7million-rated Steven Fletcher fail.
Iron chairman Steve Wharton has rejected several bids for 22-year-old Hooper but Celtic, who have watched him, have not made an offer.
Nonetheless, interest from Middlesbrough is expected to force the Premier League duo into firming up offers.
Scunthorpe have turned down several bids and are likely to be looking for a club record fee of more than £2million, for a player they paid £175,000 for from Southend in 2008.
Wharton said: “There are four or five clubs showing an interest in Gary. We’ve had some bids, but these have been turned down.
“If someone comes in with an offer we can’t refuse, providing it’s a club Gary wants to go to, something might happen.
“I’m not resigned to losing Gary this summer – but I wouldn’t be surprised if a transfer does happen.”
Wolves, who were pipped by Wigan for James McCarthy last July, want a striker after missing out on Aruna Dindane and are in talks with Fletcher but are long-term watchers of Hooper, who has a close friend at Molineux in winger Michael Kightly.
They played together at non-League Grays with Kightly’s recommendation to boss Steve Tilson seeing him sign for Southend, and the Shrimpers are due 20 per cent of the profit on his sale.
Although not electric, the 5ft 9ins forward comes alive in the penalty area and has a poacher’s record of 50 goals in 95 games in two years at Scunthorpe.
Hooper attracted a bid from QPR in January while attracting attention from Derby County and Leeds.
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He scored 4 goals in 44 appearances for Southend. As we know with SEB there is a long list of second tier high scorers who cannot do it in the Prem. I certainly hope the report on Sky is correct that we are in for Fletcher;he has a proven record in the Prem.
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Anyone else get the feeling that this close season is repeating the last one?
We need to sign some established Premier players not more ‘maybe’s'!
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Fletcher is on his way from Burnley.
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I would take Hooper over Fletcher all year round
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Rubbish!!!
Another sign of ‘INTENT’….. I’m sure the bottom half of the Premier League are shaking in their boots after hearing this……..
All the hope we had after being told QUALITY not QUANTITY and they are touting a bloke from Scunthorpe!!!
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50 goals in 95 games in 2 years. utw
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lets hope the fletcher stories are correct….he’d be a quality addition
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This is not the road to go down,i know mm has a superb record in signing lower league player but it will not work in the premeirship especially with strikers,thats why doyal done so well because he has played there before!
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Wish we would actually do something,same old story messing around. Come on wolves, Baggies and Blues are actively doing business. Getting more than concerned again. As for the news on Stephen Ward, if he was only 60% fit why on earth did MM play him.
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Looks like Axel Foley is right according to Sky Sports fletcher could be on his way for £7.5m with Hennessey and Iwelumo going the other way on a season long loan.
I like Fletcher though the deal seems expensive.
UTW forever
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Fletcher sounds good! But we need a poacher! And Hooper looks good in the box! Scores goals! And u say that but some great players have come from the lower leagues! Both sound quality!
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I want Nicky Maynard at Wolves!
Sign him before it’s too late??
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Another Andy Keogh. Great. Just what we need.
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Another cheap gamble we cant afford to take,Wolves should take note that SEB double golden boot winner in the Championship couldnt hack it the prem we were told The Hoff a current international would be the answer but to my mind its too much of a gamble,we wasted too much money last year on Championship players who were no better than we had.If we are going to move forward we need PROVEN PREM players not cheap Championship fodder.
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I don’t think we should take this story in isolation.
The stronger story on the Sky website is that Wolves are on the brink of tabling a bid for Steve Fletcher, who would be a more likely partner for Doyle.
There is nothing to stop Wolves also bidding for Hooper, as we need alternatives when the first choice players are injured or suspended.
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OH DEAR, IT APPEARS THE BOARD FEEL AS I DO .. RELEGATION CERTANTIES NEXT SEASON, SO LETS BUILD A TEAM FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP.
IF THIS IS THE MEASURE OF THE QUALITY WE WERE PROMISED … GOD HELP US.
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