Big-name casualties ahead at Wolves
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy is prepared for a summer of major change at Molineux and concedes that striker Andy Keogh could be a big-name casualty.
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy is prepared for a summer of major change at Molineux and concedes that striker Andy Keogh could be a big-name casualty.
The manager has confirmed that the club still have "a bit of business to do" following last week's combined near £10million lay-out for Jelle Van Damme and new record signing Steve Fletcher.
McCarthy is off to the World Cup this week with no specific targets on his radar, but with significant room to manoeuvre still on his transfer budget.
He said: "There is a bit of business still to be done and there will have to be a few move on as well.
"Chris Iwelumo has gone to Burnley. He was terrific. 'Lumes' was one of the building blocks in the club's progress. You get sad but you have to move on. Players do become surplus to requirements.
"As a bloke I would still want him around, but players want to play football.
"Andy Keogh started the season, then got injured and wasn't in the team. He does not want to be third or fourth choice, none of them do but that's how it can end up.
"Andrew Surman is a good player, he had a couple of games then didn't get his chance. He doesn't want to be third or fourth choice.
"If that's going to be the case they might want to move on. There are players who have helped us, but it comes to a natural progression that they will move on
"You can't just keep them here for back up."
Next season sees the introduction of the 25-man squad cap - eight of whom must have spent three seasons at an English or Welsh club between the age of 16 and 21 - which will be another factor in Wolves' calculations.
McCarthy added: "The lads will all come back with renewed enthusiasm wanting to play. But if it looks like they aren't going to play it will be: 'Eh gaffer, do you see me fitting in here?'
"It's not an exact science. I want them all to come back and fight for a spot - Richard Stearman at right back or centre-back, George Elokobi and Steven Ward at left-back now we have signed Van Damme.
"I am all for 25 players kicking, scrapping and biting to get into the team and making them as good as they can be."
The manager also confirmed his hunt for new players will not include Portsmouth's South Africa defender Aaron Mokeona and insisted that, despite a delay in signing, he "could not see a problem" in midfielder Dave Jones's agreeing his new deal.
