Wolves look to balance the books

Wolves will spend the next few weeks attempting to balance the books after two of their biggest signings in their history.

Wolves will spend the next few weeks attempting to balance the books after two of their biggest signings in their history.

Yesterday's unveiling of Roger Johnson, along with the captures of Jamie O'Hara and Dorus De Vries this summer, has left the Molineux wage bill top heavy at the moment.

Wolves have shed a chunk of salaries with the £1m sale of Greg Halford to Portsmouth and the release of Marcus Hahnemann and David Jones, whose contracts expired at the end of June, while Steven Mouyokolo's loan to Sochaux has also brought some cash in to the coffers.

But the arrival of Johnson, whose four-year deal starts at an estimated £40,000-a-week, and O'Hara, on around £35,000-a-week, needs to be offset by several departures.

While they have an extra couple of irons in the fire regarding further signings such as a left-back and a central midfielder, chief executive Jez Moxey's immediate priority is raising cash through the sales of strikers Andy Keogh, Sam Vokes, Stefan Maierhofer and Nenad Milijas - if his chances of playing are slim.

The Serbia international is halfway through a four-year deal while Keogh and Maierhofer can walk away for nothing when their contracts expire next summer.

Manager Mick McCarthy said: "Someone may have to leave but none of the players we want to keep.

"Roger asked me if we're losing anyone because he doesn't want to come to a place losing players, but that's not going to happen.

"If we can sign some more that would be great."

[24link]