Wolverhampton Wanderers have issued a “hands-off” warning to potential Premier League suitors tempted to inquire about star winger Michael Kightly.
Wolves’ chief executive Jez Moxley responded angrily to comments made made by Kightly’s former chairman, Mick Woodward - now the owner of non-league Grays Athletic - who claimed a raft of clubs were interested in the England U21 player, once nicknamed “The Ryan Giggs of Non-League Football.”
Woodward suggested Blackburn, Everton and West Ham had all enquired about Kightly, with one club lodging a £4 million bid.
Blackburn were said to be leading the race for Kightly as a possible replacement for David Bentley but, with the news that Rovers’ boss Mark Hughes may be about to leave Ewood Park for Manchester City following Sven Goran Eriksson’s exit, that interest may now diminish.
The rumour-mill had also linked Villa with a possible move for the player should he himself stake a claim to move to the top fight and therefore force Wolves’ hand.
Kightly is the sort of rapidly developing, English home-grown player, Villa manager Martin O’Neill admires as he looks to boost the paucity of his squad ahead of a real European cup campaign next season. He is also in desperate need of a right-winger but a Villa source claimed last night Kightly’s name was not on their radar.
Moxley, who oversaw Kightly signing a new four year contract at Wolves earlier this year, insists he will be going nowhere. He said: “I was very surprised by Mick Woodward’s comments. We’ve received no enquiries or bids for Michael Kightly.
“Our chairman, Steve Morgan, went on the record at the end of April with a clear and unequivocal message: ‘Our best young players are not for sale’.
“We’ve got an exciting young team at Molineux and we are building something special, and Michael wants to be a part of that. We will not allow this kind of rumour and speculation to disrupt our plans.”
The interest in Kightly was sparked after Woodward claimed: “I think you’ll see Michael Kightly moving very shortly. People will see who they can get rid of first and then come in for him.”
Should Kightly leave Wolves, Grays would benefit due to a sell-out clause in the deal which saw him first join Mick McCarthy’s side on loan and then in an initial two and a half year deal, for just £25,000 last January.
Kightly missed a large part of last season through injury but returned in sizzling form and almost guided his side to the Championship play-offs.
He has also been capped three times in Stuart Pearce’s England Under 21 side.
