Thomas Hitzlsperger has held talks with Wolves – but it remains to be seen whether he will sign for the club.

The 29-year-old former Villa midfielder was at Molineux for discussions with boss Mick McCarthy yesterday but the man nicknamed ‘Der Hammer’ for his ferocious shot left without signing or having a medical.

A free agent after activating a release clause in his three-year contract at West Ham after their relegation at the end of the season, Hitzlsperger is also the subject of interest from Fulham and Premier League new-boys QPR and he wants to speak to them first.

Wolves need to get players off the wage bill first and there are no imminent signings as they seek to balance the books following the bigmoney signings of Jamie O’Hara and Roger Johnson.

Greg Halford’s sale to Portsmouth brought in £1m and Sam Vokes could be one departure in a loan deal.

But McCarthy, who wants Liverpool youngster Jay Spearing on a season-long loan, is still looking at different options and Hitzlsperger fits his criteria of having Premier League experience.

The 52-capped German international was heavily linked with a return to Villa recently, the club who gave him his break in England where he played 114 games between 2000 and 2005, but no move materialised.

Munich-born Hitzlsperger enjoyed his best spell in his native Germany, after leaving Villa on a Bosman free transfer to Vfb Stuttgart.

There he became a regular, winning the Bundesliga in 2006-07, when he scored seven goals in 30 games.

Later made captain for 18 months, he scored 20 goals in 125 games for Stuttgart before being loaned to Lazio, where he played six matches in 2010.

From there it was a free transfer to West Ham last summer, but he played just 11 Premier League games after suffering a torn thigh, which meant he didn’t make his debut until February.

Eight days ago, Hitzlsperger escaped a driving ban after claiming he needed his car to help look for a new club.

He was fined £750 and was given six penalty points after driving his Range Rover at 107mph in Suffolk.

Big-hitters Ronald Zubar, Jamie O’Hara and Steven Fletcher will get their first taste of pre-season action at Notts County tomorrow.

By TIM NASH