Wolves' Max Clayton move stalls over price

Wolves' move for Max Clayton today looked doomed after they refused to meet Crewe's asking price for the striker.

The club are not prepared to gamble on a tribunal hearing for the 20-year-old forward, who had been training with them this month.

Crewe are believed to want around £1million for Clayton, who has not played since October after breaking his ankle. Head coach Kenny Jackett may yet resurrect the deal.

But he believes it is in Wolves' best interests not to go to a hearing.

"We're not willing to sign him and risk a tribunal," he said.

"It seems to have passed at present. We have a certain valuation and Crewe have a certain valuation. We haven't met that, so he stopped training with us.

"He is a good young player and I think, in six to 18 months, has some real development in him but right now for us to take someone at that price is not quite right.

"I do like him, but I don't think he'd come in and replace one of our first team players right now. You have to consider that.

"You value it going forward to see what he could bring. He would be in the squad but I don't think he would push one of those three or four positions he'd be competing for out of the team.

"I'm not ruling it out in the future, but at the moment he's not training with us and ourselves and Crewe haven't agreed a deal."

Wolves, who are at Rotherham tomorrow, also saw their move for Chris Wood collapse this week when the club couldn't settle on a fee with Leicester or strike a deal with the player.

Jackett is prepared to bide his time, with Wolves also able to enter the emergency loan market after the transfer deadline on September 1.

He remains interested in Chelsea's Patrick Bamford – a loan target for Middlesbrough – but has Leon Clarke, Nouha Dicko, Liam McAlinden and Bakary Sako in attack.

Meanwhile, reports from Lancashire last night claimed Premier League new-boys Burnley could hijack Brighton's bid to sign Wolves' left-back Stephen Ward.

Ward looked set to move to the Amex Stadium but sources in Burnley claim he is now considering a rival bid from the Clarets.