Former Celtic target is freed

Former Celtic transfer target Stephen Hunt has been freed by Wolves.

Neil Lennon enquired about Hunt’s availability during the January 2012 transfer window but was given to encouragement by the then Premiership club.

Wolves have been forced to slash their costs following relegation to League One with the Irishman an immediate casualty with a reported wage of £35,000 per week.

Former Wolves boss Mick McCarthy, who signed Hunt for Wolves from Reading for £3.5m in 2009, is interested in taking the midfielder to Ipswich Town but Hunt won’t be rushed into making a decision over his future.

Lennon is keen to add experience to his squad but has stated that his transfer priority would be to sign a striker with a physical presence.

Hunt will be 32 in August but with no transfer fee involved could fall within Celtic’s budget restrictions.

After missing six months of this season through injury he returned to the Wolves side in March and was one of the few players to emerge with credit as the club crashed into the third tier of English football.

Lennon has already gone public on his interest in Kevin Doyle who has a year remaining on his contract but is unlikely to be at Molineux at the start of the new season.

Back-to-back relegation’s have had a devastating effect on Wolves who have gone through three different managers since sacking McCarthy in February 2012.

Scotland defender Christophe Berra has also been released with the club having to pay back money to over 9,000 fans who bought season tickets based on the club retaining Championship status.