Wolves hunting late targets
Wolves were today weighing up one more signing before the transfer window closes – with a central midfielder in their sights for a beat-the-deadline plunge.
Stoke's Glenn Whelan and Tottenham's Jermaine Jenas are believed to be the men on Stale Solbakken's radar before the window shuts at 11pm.
Senior sources at the Potteries club have admitted Wolves are interested in the Ireland international, although a formal approach is yet to be made for Whelan, who was watched by chief executive Jez Moxey in Stoke's 0-0 draw against Arsenal last Saturday.
Whelan was also mysteriously left out of Stoke's squad for their 4-3 Capital One Cup defeat by Swindon on Tuesday.
He is available for around £2m, with Stoke needing the money to fund their own replacements, Tom Huddlestone from Spurs and Liverpool's Charlie Adam.
Wolves have completed the signing of 17-year-old Swedish midfielder Tim Jakobsson, who will go into the development squad. The highly-rated midfielder has joined from IK Frej for an undisclosed fee and put pen to paper on a two-year contract.
Solbakken is anxious to bolster his ranks in the middle after being left thin on the ground. Karl Henry and Jamie O'Hara are out injured and Nenad Milijas has rejoined Red Star Belgrade after the club cancelled his contract by mutual agreement yesterday.
Apart from Tongo Doumbia, back-ups David Davis and Eggert Jonsson are inexperienced and Dave Edwards still has to prove his fitness over 90 minutes this season.
That has left Solbakken pondering a move for a central midfielder, and he likes the look of Whelan.
Now 28, the Dubliner is at the upper end of what Wolves will consider signing under the club's long established young hungry policy.
But he has given Stoke excellent service since his bargain £500,000 move from Sheffield Wednesday in January 2008.
Helping them to promotion in his first few months at the Britannia Stadium, Whelan has been a regular ever since, making 165 appearances.
At 29 and after missing most of last season through injury which forced him to cut short a loan spell at Villa, Jenas, who earns an estimated £40,000-a-week, appears to be a less likely option.
Solbakken admitted: "We're trying to sign one more player but we're not close at this moment."
"I hope it will be a busy day but I'm not sure. We're still working on it and we'll see.
"Hopefully we use the last 24 hours well, but if not then it will be the players that are here and I'm happy with that.
"I'd be even more happy with one more but who knows?"
