Wolves defend loan deadline day deals
Wolves today defended their low-key business in the loan window and blamed clubs' unwillingness to let players go.
Only free agent keeper Marian Kello, 30, and 20-year-old Wigan winger Nouha Dicko arrived as the window shut at 5pm last night.
An undisclosed Premier League player was lined up to sign yesterday afternoon only to do a U-turn at the last moment.
In their defence, Wolves point to the sizeable investment put into 31-year-old Reading loanee Kaspars Gorkss, who is estimated to be earning over £20,000-a-week and the club have committed to a two-year deal provided they stay up.
But the squad is still effectively four down on January, with Gorkss, Jack Robinson, Kello and Dicko replacing Jermaine Pennant, Frank Nouble, Richard Stearman, Ronald Zubar and the injured Steven Mouyokolo, while Carl Ikeme, Dave Edwards and Bakary Sako have since been ruled out of the season.
Former Hearts keeper Kello is not expected to make the bench for tomorrow's visit of Middlesbrough while he gets up to speed.
Dicko can also play up front and scored five goals in 22 games on loan at Blackpool earlier this season.
"The club don't feel like we can take on another wage on top of the current wage bill, with the Financial Fair Play rules coming in," said boss Dean Saunders.
"A lot of players we tried to get wouldn't come here unless they had contracts at the end of it.
"What's been said to me – and I understand it – is if we don't stay up, we'll have players with wages which aren't going to work in League One.
"As the manager, I've got to understand that."
Chief executive Jez Moxey added: "The problem is not a lack of money but a lack of available players who can make a positive difference.
"We've spoken to every Premier League team, half the Championship and even teams in League One to try to get decent players in during this loan window.
"But what we don't want to do is just take anyone who's no better than the players we have here already, and give them a two-year contract.
"Kaspars Gorkss will become a permanent transfer if we stay up, we've also loaned Jack Robinson and signed Marion Kello and loaned Nouha Dicko."
