Wolves wait on Michael Mancienne
Thursday 24th June 2010, 11:26AM BST.
Wolves owner Steve Morgan has admitted his club would welcome back Michael Mancienne in a flash– if Chelsea make him available.
Despite completing the bulk of their summer signings with five new arrivals for a cost of around £18million, Wolves would still be open to signing the utility man who has served them over the last two seasons.
But they have been in talks to sign £1.75million-rated St Etienne midfielder Guirane N’Daw and it seems unlikely they would sign the Senegal international holding midfielder as well as Mancienne, who finished the season at Molineux playing in that position.
In any case, Morgan revealed the ball is firmly in Chelsea’s court over Mancienne’s availability.
He said: “We think the world of Michael at this club – he’s a good player, he knows the set-up and he’s a popular lad with the squad.
“But it’s an issue for Chelsea – if they say he’s available then we would have an interest. Until they clarify what their plans for Michael are, it’s very difficult to comment.
“We’re on the sidelines, quite frankly.”
Morgan believes the new Premier League ruling, stating every club must name a 25-man squad containing eight ‘homegrown’ players who have spent three years with an English or Welsh club between the ages of 18 and 21 is a factor.
The ruling is to be introduced for the coming season and Morgan believes Chelsea are concerned at the lack of applicable players they could name, especially after releasing one of their more high profile ones in Joe Cole.
He said: “They’ve got to get so many homegrown players into their squad and at this moment in time, Michael is a homegrown player and they’ve let Joe Cole go, which was a real surprise.
“Now I’m only guessing, but I think Michael’s future depends on what homegrown players they bring in because they have a balance to strike.
“It’s not like going to Tesco’s and taking tins off the supermarket shelf – as we all know, getting the right players is very difficult.
“The biggest issue is where Chelsea see Michael’s future.”
UK Sport
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