McCarthy will not break bank

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy has revealed there may be a sudden 'jerk and a jump' in the wage culture at Molineux as he builds a squad fit for the Premier League.

But he insists he won't be breaking the bank to fill the pockets of new signings and leaving the club in financial crisis.

McCarthy is attempting to snaffle the best of the Bosman free transfer market after targeting Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia among others.

"There might be a sudden jerk and a jump which we maybe wouldn't have if we were just continuing at this level," said McCarthy. "But we've got to because we've stepped up a notch.

"I don't know how anyone would imagine that we could go from where we are to be offering tens and tens of thousands of pounds a week. Not a chance.

"If you go in and say you're only going to do 'x'-amount, then straight away, you'll get people saying, I'm not going there because I want 'y'.

"So there's negotiation. But there's a different stratosphere altogether which we're not going to enter into."

That strategy would rule out Newcastle winger Damien Duff, who was handed his Republic of Ireland debut by McCarthy and was linked with a move to Wolves at the weekend.

The former Chelsea man is understood to be on around £70,000 per-week.

"This team has evolved – it's not a revolutionary thing, and I think we've got to continue doing that," said the boss.

Carrying no transfer fee, signings such as Champions League winner Hyypia, 35, would allow McCarthy to pay more in wages.

He accepts he won't be able to shell out multi-million pound transfer fees and match the salaries of the top stars. But he hopes to gradually supplement his squad.

"We're a Premier League club and we've all got to think like that and act like that. But there are ridiculous levels we won't go to."

By TIM NASH