PREMIERSHIP new-boys Wolverhampton Wanderers are lining up a £1.5m swoop for Sunderland stopper Jody Craddock.
The Molineux club have been busy in the transfer market this summer, as they bid to avoid relegation in their first season back in the top-flight.
And Northern Echo SPORT understands that manager Dave Jones is hoping to snap up Craddock on the cheap and pair him with ex-Sunderland defender Paul Butler at the heart of the Wolves defence.
Black Cats boss Mick McCarthy is keen to keep hold of Craddock, who was recently given the number six shirt while other available star names were handed high squad numbers.
McCarthy has been naming the 28-year-old alongside youngster Ben Clark in pre-season games - the latest of which was a trip to Hibernian on Saturday.
But the Sunderland boss knows that bids for any of his players have to be seriously considered, as the club strive to reduce debts approaching £30m and an expensive wage bill.
Centre-backs Joachim Bjorklund, Emerson Thome and Phil Babb have all been told they can leave on free transfers and Gavin McCann has joined Aston Villa for £2.25m.
Goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen is set to follow McCann to Villa Park and Kevin Phillips, Claudio Reyna, Michael Gray and Tore Andre Flo are all expected to join the Stadium of Light exodus.
And Craddock could beat all of his teammates out of the door provided Wolves' swoop is successful.
McCarthy is desperate to decrease the squad size so that he can finally attempt to bring in new players ahead of Sunderland's Nationwide First Division campaign.
Midfielder Jeff Whitley has played his part in friendlies but he is having to wait until McCarthy is in a position to offer him terms before signing permanently.
Shaun Goater, David Connolly, Colin Healy and Shefki Kuqi are also thought to be on McCarthy's list of targets.
Read more about Sunderland here.
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