French internationals only usually turn up in the West Midlands for one last pay day.

One can easily recall David Ginola trundling around the penalty box rather than bursting into it.

“He has taken some time to get to full fitness and is carrying a bit of timber,” John Gregory, his manager once infamously said.

And taxi for Robert Pires anyone?

Blues fans fondly remember Christophe Dugarry. But even he arrived shortly before his 31st birthday and his next stop was the Middle East.

And so to Molineux where the signs were good when they played La Marseillaise before last month’s game against Leicester City over the PA system. But it’s one thing signing a French under-21 international (Ronald Zubar), and quite another signing one to make the step up.

Particularly if you are a winger.

At a time when Didier Deschamps can leave Samir Nasri out of his squad to face Japan the French still have the likes of M’Baye Niang (Milan), Moussa Sissoko (Toulouse), Mathieu Valbuena (Marseille) and Jeremy Menez (Paris St Germain) to rival Franck Ribery.

Attacking youngsters are two-a- penny and are all waiting in the wings for a chance to shine.

Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon,21), Henri Saivet (Bordeaux,21), Enzo Reale and Mathias Autret (both 21 and Lorient), Benjamin Andre (Ajaccio,22), Jean-Christophe Bahebeck (Troyes,19), Yacine Brahimi (Granada,22), Neeskens Kebano (Caen,20), Yassine Benzia (Lyon, 18), Remy Cabella (Montpellier, 22), Cedric Bakambu (Sochaux, 21) and Frederic Bulot (Standard Liege, 22) are all future stars.

So what of Bakary Sako’s chances? At 24 the former under-21 international’s move to England appears to have ignited his career.

Now Stale Solbakken has told Sako to aim for the French senior squad, rather than Mali who have been mooted.

“I don’t know what he has chosen. Hopefully he should aim for the French national team,” he said.

“Why not? Florent Malouda has played for France and he’s in Chelsea’s reserves at the moment so anything could happen.

“I don’t think he could realistically play for France now, but if he continued to develop that could also happen. He should have that aim.”

Sako looks increasingly unlikely to be called up by Mali for the African Nations which would be a major boost to Wolves who will be without Mali’s Tongo Doumbia and potentially Togo’s Razak Boukari.

“He’s not with Mali now. I’ve not heard anything else. Obviously that will be a new discussion but he hasn’t played a game for them. They play a game now and he’s not in the squad,” said Solbakken. “I haven’t spoken to him about it because he hasn’t been called up.”