The Wolves owner and chairman, Sir Jack Hayward, has rejected claims by the manager, Mark McGhee, that he has had to work at Molineux under a limited budget.
Wolves face a 10th consecutive season in the First Division despite Hayward's investment of around £40 million in the club and the 74-year-old multi-millionaire, who is recovering from heart surgery, said: "We have refused Mark on only one player, Ian Ferguson of Rangers, who was in his 30s and wanted a long contract on higher money than any player we have ever had.
"I think Mark has spent around £5 million. We feel we have given him his head."
Hayward, who took over as chairman last autumn from his son Jonathan, told the Scot after the FA Cup quarter-final victory at Leeds that money was available. But it was not until transfer deadline week that McGhee pulled off five signings which were too late to salvage another failed promotion challenge.
Hayward, "perplexed" by some of McGhee's signings and bitterly disappointed by the club's long wait for promotion, has nevertheless given qualified backing to a vote of confidence in McGhee expressed by the club's managing director John Richards.
Manchester City have received a second offer from Ajax for Georgi Kinkladze but are denying claims that they have agreed a
£5 million deal with the Dutch club for the Georgia midfielder.
"We have had a slightly increased offer," said Dennis Tueart, a City director. "It is very complicated but we have not accepted £5 million. We thought we had a deal last week but it broke down. We are doing our best because the lad wants to leave."
Derby's manager Jim Smith is keen to sign Newcastle's Czech goalkeeper Pavel Srnicek. Smith, then with Newcastle, signed Srnicek for £350,000 from Banik Ostrava seven years ago.
The Premier League and Premiership referees have given their blessing to Manchester United's latest home shirt, unveiled yesterday by Umbro. It is the first to have a zip, previously considered too dangerous.
Arsenal's Patrick Vieira and Nicolas Anelka have been recalled to the French squad to face Sweden in a World Cup warm-up next Wednesday. The West Ham goalkeeper, Bernard Lama, has also been included but there is no place for Chelsea's Frank Leboeuf.
Lama last played for France against Holland in February 1997 when at Paris St-Germain but fell out of favour after being banned for smoking cannabis. He is likely to start after being named as one of only two goalkeepers.
