Wolves won't pay over odds

Wolves chief executive Jez Moxey today reinforced the club's pledge not to pay over the odds for their top transfer targets as he admitted the market is "over-inflated".

It emerged yesterday that Scunthorpe forward Billy Sharp - a priority target for boss Mick McCarthy - has snubbed a Molineux move in favour of rejoining boyhood club Sheffield United.

Disappointment over Sharp could be tempered by clinching the signing of Southend's Freddy Eastwood, with sources close to the player adamant that a deal to take him to Molineux remains in the offing.

And while Moxey refuses to be drawn on either Sharp or Eastwood, he has reiterated the club's desire not be forced down a route that has seen them burnt in the transfer market in the past.

"The prospective owner (Steve Morgan), myself and Mick McCarthy have all stressed that we are working hard behind the scenes and we expect to announce signings soon," he said today.

"But we have also said we will not pay over the odds for players in a market we think is over-inflated.

Interest

"There are one or two players attracting interest from several places but we will only pay what we believe is right for a particular player and if that means we don't sign one player then so be it," he said. "In that situation We will go out and sign somebody else instead."

With a clutch of ambitious Championship clubs battling for a pool of forwards, prices have been driven up.

Southend are believed to have slapped a £2m price tag on Eastwood, while the player-plus-cash deal that looks set to take Sharp to Bramall Lane will be close to the £2.5m mark.

Wolves' remaining striker targets include Sunderland's Stephen Elliott, Kyle Lafferty and Leeds man David Healey, and they want to make at least one permanent signing before the campaign kicks off on August 11.

They are also lining up loan deals for promising Premiership starlets, and expect to know more about their availability when clubs return for pre-season next week.