Post by Jay on Mar 14, 2006 13:28:20 GMT -1
Celtic are the latest club to be linked to a summer move for Joleon Lescott if a Wolves promotion fails to materialise.
The 23-year-old defender is set to be one of the hottest targets in the summer if Wolves are faced with another season of Championship football.
Lescott extended his Wolves contract to 2008 after negotiations throughout the autumn of 2005, but is desperate to get among the Premiership elite.
His exit in the summer is seen as inevitable at a time when Wolves will be cutting their cloth to suit a new age of financial restraint if Glenn Hoddle's team have not been able to muscle their way to the Premiership via the play offs.
Lescott is being constantly monitored by Manchester City and has been the subject of informal club-to-agent contact from Arsenal, who are also interested in Albion's Curtis Davies.
This week, the Express & Star revealed that Everton were also among the contenders with Goodison boss David Moyes at Molineux on Tuesday night to watch Lescott produce a Wolves man of the match showing in the goalless draw with Stoke.
Now it emerges that Celtic, too, registered their interest in Lescott's future plans and are ready to join the bidding for the Wolves defender during the summer if he becomes available.
Officially, Molineux's bosses will be anxious to hang on to Lescott in the event of another missed promotion challenge but the reality points to the home-grown player's exit.
Chief executive Jez Moxey has admitted that, with the parachute payments from the Premiership used up, Wolves fans can brace themselves for a very different Molineux if it is the Championship again next season.
And as one of the higher wage earners following his new deal before Christmas, a Lescott sale would ease the wage bill as well as provide transfer funds.
The 23-year-old defender is set to be one of the hottest targets in the summer if Wolves are faced with another season of Championship football.
Lescott extended his Wolves contract to 2008 after negotiations throughout the autumn of 2005, but is desperate to get among the Premiership elite.
His exit in the summer is seen as inevitable at a time when Wolves will be cutting their cloth to suit a new age of financial restraint if Glenn Hoddle's team have not been able to muscle their way to the Premiership via the play offs.
Lescott is being constantly monitored by Manchester City and has been the subject of informal club-to-agent contact from Arsenal, who are also interested in Albion's Curtis Davies.
This week, the Express & Star revealed that Everton were also among the contenders with Goodison boss David Moyes at Molineux on Tuesday night to watch Lescott produce a Wolves man of the match showing in the goalless draw with Stoke.
Now it emerges that Celtic, too, registered their interest in Lescott's future plans and are ready to join the bidding for the Wolves defender during the summer if he becomes available.
Officially, Molineux's bosses will be anxious to hang on to Lescott in the event of another missed promotion challenge but the reality points to the home-grown player's exit.
Chief executive Jez Moxey has admitted that, with the parachute payments from the Premiership used up, Wolves fans can brace themselves for a very different Molineux if it is the Championship again next season.
And as one of the higher wage earners following his new deal before Christmas, a Lescott sale would ease the wage bill as well as provide transfer funds.
And it's Wolverhampton! Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C 
