'Summer of stealth' for Wolves' fans

Wolves fans were today cautioned to expect a summer of stealth in the transfer market as the club hunts down targets for a third Premier League campaign.

The first wave of transfer speculation has seen Wolves linked to moves for Birmingham midfielder Craig Gardner and Coventry keeper Keiren Westwood.

Wolves have made enquiries at all three relegated clubs – Blues, Blackpool and West Ham.

At St Andrew's, the Carson Yeung regime have declared their intention to hold together a Carling Cup-winning squad that includes coveted players led by Gardner, keeper Ben Foster and defensive pairing Roger Johnson and Scott Dann.

Wolves were in the market for both Gardner and Dann before they chose Blues two years ago and the Molineux club – along with several Premier League rivals – have tested the water to see if Yeung's "no firesale" policy is set in stone.

But amid excited talk of Gardner as a possible £4m recruit, chief executive Jez Moxey is warning supporters to prepare for a longer hunt this summer.

Last year, Wolves swept through the market at a whirlwind pace landing Stephen Hunt, Steven Fletcher, Jelle Van Damme and Steven Mouyokolo before the end of June.

Moxey does not expect "wholesale changes" in 2011 and says the club will not put itself under pressure to get any business completed as early as possible.

"We're hoping to make further improvements this summer which we believe will enable us to avoid the problems we faced in that last match," said Moxey.

"The challenge is to make the team better and I think we will achieve that. But we might have a slightly different view this summer in that we will be more relaxed about insisting getting our business completed as early as possible."

By TIM NASH