Patience has been the watchword in the transfer market for Wolves this summer.

While they have raced from the blocks in each of the last two close seasons breaking their transfer record two years running, they have bided their time this summer in the knowledge that their targets would be harder to get.

They have been proved right too, with top defensive target Roger Johnson being so far priced out of a move to Wolves by Birmingham’s £10million price tag.

They continue to pursue Reading defender Matt Mills and are now playing a waiting game in the hope their Premier League status can see off strong late competition from ambitious Championship side Leicester, and Stoke if the Potters miss out on Johnson’s partner at Blues, Scott Dann.

Even before the dust settled on Survival Sunday, Wolves manager Mick McCarthy wanted a goalkeeper to compete to be his first choice, two centre-backs, a left-back and a powerful midfielder who can add goals, as well as Jamie O’Hara on a permanent deal.

McCarthy has got the goalkeeper in Dorus De Vries from Swansea and O’Hara, the latter which must be seen as a sign of intent.

Wolves will sign Mills if the clubs can agree a fee, but even though the so-far disappointing Steven Mouyokolo has left on a season-long loan to French club Sochaux, it’s unclear if he’ll be allowed to sign another defender.

Much will depend on whether any interest in Christophe Berra firms up, which seems unlikely at the moment given Glasgow Rangers’ poor finances despite a takeover.

Richard Dunne and Jonny Evans remain possibilities if the Mills deal falls through, while further down the list are Matthew Upson and Sebastian Bassong.

McCarthy would have welcomed several players from relegated Birmingham.

While Johnson and Dann seem out of reach – just as they were two years ago when he first targeted them – he’s a big admirer of Craig Gardner and Sebastian Larsson.

But Sunderland, armed with the £24million from selling Darren Bent and £20million from the departure of Jordan Henderson, carried far too much financial clout for Wolves and Gardner is expected to follow Larsson by becoming a Black Cat any day soon.

Instead, McCarthy has moved on to other targets, with Arsenal’s Henri Lansbury among those midfielders on the radar.

Once he snaps up his central defender, a left-back is a priority.

This is an area Wolves tried to address last summer with the £2.5million signing of Jelle van Damme, only for the Belgium international to fail to settle and be despatched to Standard Liege, but at least they got their money back.

Premier League red tape prevented McCarthy from signing Liverpool’s Paul Konchesky on loan in January, as he had already played for the Reds and Fulham and players can’t play for three Premier League clubs in a season.

Chelsea have offered Wolves their England under-21 international Ryan Bertrand on a season-long loan and he remains an option.

But both Lansbury and Bertrand are likely to spend pre-season with their parent clubs before it’s decided if they will go out on loan.

While attack isn’t a priority to strengthen right now, one of the few forwards they have been linked with is Reading’s £7million-rated Shane Long.

But it’s understood he would only be considered if Wolves sold Kevin Doyle, which looks unlikely.

And there may well be other departures before the transfer window closes at the end of August in addition to Mouyokolo.

Playmaker Nenad Milijas is one who won’t want to hang around if, as expected, his chances appear more limited next season.

The Serbia international is halfway through a four-year deal, and although he is keen on staying in England, takers might be put off by Wolves’ attempts to recoup their £2.6million outlay.

It may be that Milijas goes out on loan, and there could be takers in Germany, Italy – which isn’t far from his Serbian roots – and Spain.

By Tim Nash