Lafferty is new strike target

Burnley striker Kyle Lafferty is today revealed as Wolves' mystery third strike target.

Wolves have made initial contact with the Clarets in an effort to bring the Northern Ireland international to Molineux and add him to a pool of strikers that will soon include Southend hit-man Freddy Eastwood.

McCarthy sees 6ft 4ins Lafferty as offering him a different option from his existing forwards and believes he can be the bustling target man that is missing from Wolves' striking armoury.

I understand the highly-rated 19-year-old is one of three priority targets up front - with the others believed to be Scunthorpe's Billy Sharp and the Molineux-bound Eastwood.

Lafferty has hit five goals in 18 starts for Burnley, but saw most of his action from the bench last season. He has also played ten times for Northern Ireland, scoring once in a friendly with Finland last year.

With Wolves looking to step up their interest in the striker, Burnley boss Steve Cotterill will be braced for a battle to keep hold of a player he sees as a key part of his squad next season.

The Clarets turned down a £500,000 bid from Celtic for the striker in January - and are believed to value him closer to the £1m mark. The Glasgow giants could also return with another bid.

Burnley will be reluctant to sell, and any approach is sure to be met with little enthusiasm.

Celtic would be considered front-runners for the striker, but, with Steve Morgan's £30m investment, Wolves have become arguably the Championship's most attractive propositions - and the lure of joining McCarthy's 'new Wolves' would prove tempting.

The Molineux transfer blueprint has become clearer, with a £1.25m deal to bring Eastwood to Molineux set for completion next week.

A bid has also been lodged for Sharp, but Wolves are still waiting for the forward to make a decision on his future. That delay - and his £2m price tag - could be a sticking point in the deal, but Wolves still hold out hopes of signing him.