Wolves have been told they will need to meet a sky-high asking price of £14m to prise top defensive target Roger Johnson from Birmingham.

The Molineux club have been in touch with their relegated St Andrew’s neighbours to open early discussions about the defender’s availability.

Wolves have denied claims they had already made a £6m bid for Johnson, regarded as one of the top ‘picks’ from the trio of relegated Premier League teams, which had been rejected.

But they are strongly interested and buckling down for a likely summer-long transfer saga in which Blues will endeavour to drive up a top-dollar price for their coveted 28-year-old centre-half.

Sunderland have also met with the same response having also targeted Johnson but like Wolves are viewing Blues’ asking price as wildly ambitious for a player now into the last year of his St Andrew’s contract.

But the clubs lining up to target Alex McLeish’s squad will wait for the financial pressures of relegation to bite at St Andrew’s before the bidding for Johnson begins in earnest.

Reserve targets include Johnson’s team-mate Scott Dann while further down manager Mick McCarthy’s list is the West Ham defender Matthew Upson. His name has been discussed but he is not yet one of Wolves’ priorities.

McCarthy will also seek a fitness up-date on his January target Jonathan Woodgate, the injury-troubled former England defender who is now a free agent following his release from Spurs. Recruiting established Premier League experience for his defence is one of the main aims for McCarthy this summer.

By MARTIN SWAIN