Mick McCarthy planning Wolves transfer raid

Mick McCarthy is planning a sensational swoop on Wolves for up to three players next month to crank up the stakes for his Molineux return with Ipswich in eight days' time.

The former Wolves boss has already earmarked the available Ronald Zubar for his January transfer plans – and it could become a three-pronged raid.

McCarthy has an interest in two other players he signed at Molineux – Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and Richard Stearman.

Sources say Zubar, who was made available for transfer by manager Stale Solbakken earlier this week, is nailed on to join Ipswich.

McCarthy is also keen on Karl Henry and George Elokobi but seems unlikely to prise away the Wolves captain, who only a signed a bumper, four-year contract in August while Elokobi has a broken ankle.

Zubar, 27, is expected to be available for a cut-price fee as he can walk away for nothing on a Bosman free transfer next summer. He signed for McCarthy for £2million from Marseille in July 2009.

Ebanks-Blake's deal expires next June and he faces an uncertain future, despite Solbakken saying he isn't looking to sell the striker in the January window.

But with the Norwegian understood to be targeting more firepower, he may well now have the chance to cash in on the 26-year-old.

The striker is Wolves' seven-goal joint top scorer with Bakary Sako but has struggled to regain his previous sparkle at this level, with one strike in his last 11 games.

Solbakken has already said he needs to move players on if he is to bring in the targets he wants next month.

McCarthy knows chief executive Jez Moxey will play hardball over the fees, but the Ipswich boss has been given the green light to spend by Tractor Boys chairman Marcus Evans.

It may be Stearman, 25, is the most difficult to tempt away given his versatility and the fact he has 18 months left on his contract.

The former England under-21 international, who McCarthy paid around £1.6m for in June 2008, is keen to stay.

But the defender wants more action after being restricted to 10 league appearances this season, only the first of which came in his preferred position of centre-back.