Hunt is on for hungry Wolves

McCarthy, who is currently on a Europe-wide assessment of targets, has chiefly opted for hardworking, young and hungry, value-for-money recruits in his three years in charge.

The 50-year-old now wants Premier League experience for arguably his toughest assignment, but stressed their temperament must be similar to players such as Michael Kightly and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake.

"Our players are hungry and full of desire and I'm still conscious of that when I'm trying to sign players now," said the boss.

"We need some experienced players, but I want them to be of a similar ilk to the current group in terms of being good characters and having that hunger.

"I want players who, when it's tough, will roll their sleeves up and get going and have a go at it – not pack in and not to want to play.

"We've had good characters all season, that's why we've won the title.

"What they've had is an appetite of really wanting to play and I want to find others with similar appetite to bring in this summer."

As reported in yesterday's Express & Star, McCarthy is currently weighing up a bid for Standard Liege's giant defender Oguuchi Onyewu, who turned 27 today and has brief Premier League experience on loan at Newcastle.

Wolves have also been linked with Cardiff's 21-goal striker Ross McCormack, who would fit in to McCarthy's young and hungry category, but falls short on the Premier League experience front, having played for Rangers and Motherwell in his native Scotland before moving to South Wales last summer.

Meanwhile, contrary to reports, sources close to Rangers' former Villa midfielder Steven Davis insist there has been no contact from Wolves.