Wolves in shock move for Frank Nouble

Wolves today announced a surprise signing with the low-key arrival of freed West Ham striker Frank Nouble.

The pacy, powerfully-built 20-year-old, who has signed a two-year deal, becomes the second frontman to agree to join the club this week after the £2.4m arrival of Lillestrom's Bjorn Bergmann Sigurdarson.

League One Coventry were keen to snap up 6ft 3in tall Nouble – as were Oxford a division below – but the interest from Wolves killed the prospect of him joining the Sky Blues.

But the arrival of the 6ft 3in forward, who can also play wide, places heavy question marks over the future of Wolves' current strikeforce, which includes Steven Fletcher, Kevin Doyle and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, plus Sam Vokes, Leigh Griffiths, Jake Cassidy and Sam Winnall in the inexperienced or untried category which Nouble falls into.

Nouble, who made his senior debut against Wolves in the Hammers' 2-0 win at Molineux in August 2009 as a last-minute substitute for Carlton Cole, had a three-match loan stint at West Brom in spring 2010.

That was one of seven temporary spells the Lewisham-born forward has had away from Upton Park, where he made 13 league appearances, scoring once, plus another six in the cups.

The nine-capped England Under-19 international has notched a modest eight goals in 62 League games, of which 25 have been as substitute, for West Ham and on loan at Albion, Swindon, Swansea, Barnsley twice, Charlton and Gillingham.

And it was at the League Two Gills where he enjoyed his most prolific spell, netting five times in 13 games from last September to December before returning to West Ham and scoring his only goal for the club in his fourth and final league start in a 2-1 defeat at Derby.

Crawley Town had a bid accepted for him in January, but Nouble turned down the move.

He instead then returned to Barnsley, where he failed to score in six matches.

See also:

• Nenad Milijas has hope of a fresh start at Wolves

• Molineux redevelopment in full swing – VIDEO

• Striker Sigurdarson on his way to Wolves