Express & Star

Austrian centre-back Georg Margreitter to return to Wolves

Georg Margreitter is set to return to Wolves and join his fellow loan exiles after FC Copenhagen failed to negotiate a loan extension, it emerged today.

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The Austrian centre-back has spent a season-long loan with the Danish side managed by former Wolves boss Ståle Solbakken, who signed him for Wolves two years ago for £500,000.

Margreitter played 19 games in all competitions as the Danish giants finished second in the SAS Ligaen, six points behind champions Aalborg, although he missed yesterday's fine match of the season, a 3-2 win against Odense OB after being sent off in his previous game.

Solbakken wanted to use the keep the 25-year-old on loan for another season, but it's understood Wolves want to sell the former Austria Vienna stopper, and the Norwegian also admitted they couldn't afford his wages.

"We tried to keep Margreitter, but it was far from successful," said Solbakken.

"He has a very good contract at Wolverhampton, which is far from our level so we could not meet his demands.

"He's a rock-solid man on and off the field who has proved worthy of the role we loaned him to fill.

"But a dialogue with Georg and Wolverhampton has shown it's so difficult to negotiate a loan extension, so now he must return to England and be Wolves' player.

"Georg is growing, and, with the playing time he's had in the last few months, he's shown his true potential."

Margreitter, who is halfway through a four-year deal at Molineux, is set to return to Wolves for the start of pre-season training on June 25 with fellow loanees Roger Johnson, Kevin Doyle, Stephen Ward, Kevin Foley, Tongo Doumbia and Razak Boukari, while Bjorn Sigurdarson is with Molde until October.

Of the youngsters who were loaned out, Jake Cassidy (Tranmere), Zeli Ismail (Burton Albion), Dominic Iorfa (Shrewsbury) and Bradley Reid (Wrexham) have been retained but Jamie Reckord (Swindon), Jordan Cranston (Nuneaton) and Michael Ihiekwe (Cheltenham) have been released.

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