Wolves swoop to secure old-boy Clarke's return

It's understood a fee of around £750,000 has settled the deal for 28-year-old Clarke to return to his hometown club.

Clarke, who has scored 18 goals this season – 15 of which have come in just 23 league games – will now re-sign for Wolves, subject to agreeing a contract and passing a medical.

The much-travelled striker, who left Wolves for £300,000 in January 2007, has played for 14 different clubs in a nomadic career and must now set about winning over the Molineux faithful.

Wolves fans have so far given a lukewarm response to the return of a striker who never delivered on his considerable potential after emerging as a huge talent on graduating from the club's academy.

And he leaves the Sky Blues on bitter terms, after being criticised by boss Steven Pressley for "letting his team-mates down" when refusing to play in Tuesday's 2-0 defeat at Leyton Orient, citing a foot injury sustained in Friday's 4-0 FA Cup defeat away to Arsenal.

This came after he submitted a transfer request within hours of Wolves' first bid being made public.

But those close to Clarke say he's a changed man, and his statistics as well as leaner appearance this season bear out a player who is finally fulfilling his potential.

Clarle scored 15 goals in 83 appearances – 48 of which came off the bench – in his first spell at Molineux before joining Sheffield Wednesday following scoreless loan spells with Kidderminster, QPR and Plymouth.

For the Owls, Clarke scored 18 goals in 83 league games – 40 of which were as a substitute – before joining QPR permanently in June 2010 after prolific loan spells with Oldham and Southend. Stints with Preston, Swindon, Chesterfield, Charlton, Crawley and Scunthorpe followed before he joined Coventry.

Wolves have rejected two offers from Celtic for Griffiths but that deal is now expected to go through.