Express & Star

Wolves may walk away from Harry Maguire bid

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Kenny Jackett today hinted Wolves are prepared to walk away from the Harry Maguire deal after insisting they have enough defensive cover for the Championship.

Wolves have had two bids rejected for the Sheffield United stopper culminating in an £1.5m offer, while have offered a £2m package with add-ons.

The Blades rate the 21-year-old at around £2m but want all the money up front and Wolves currently won't budge.

"We won't strengthen just for the sake of it, we'll only take players we think are going to improve us," said head coach Jackett.

"If we don't get them, I'm comfortable to carry on with what we've got - I'm very confident of this squad.

"If there's somebody we genuinely think has top-class potential, and is available for the right price, we won't hesitate to strengthen.

"But there's a certain type of player we're looking for and that somebody has to be outstanding and make us better.

"We could quite easily start with the players we have.

"Danny Batth and Richard Stearman formed an excellent partnership last season and Sam Ricketts and Ethan Ebanks-Landell can also play there."

Maguire's situation is expected to become clearer when Sheffield United report back for pre-season training next week and they can assess his state of mind.

But Stearman's decision to accept a new two-year deal has lessened the pressure on Wolves to bolster their back line.

And Jackett believes re-signing those who have excelled, such as Stearman, Carl Ikeme and Dave Edwards, is as good as bringing in a new player.

"You should never underestimate these types of signings - like Danny Batth took quite a long while to get over the line, but I was always comfortable he was committed," he said.

"When internal ones re-sign, they can really help you.

"And while they may not be the same splash publicly, they're just as important.

"With Dave Edwards and Richard Stearman signing in the summer we're in a good position."

With the Maguire situation at an impasse, Wolves aren't close to any other new signings.

"We're always looking but we're not close to any deals," said Jackett.

"We're certainly not saying: 'we have to sign players', or 'we're looking to sign 'x' amount of players before the start of the season'."