Wolverhampton Wanderers remain hopeful of having Henri Camara off their books before the closing of the August transfer window.

The controversial Senegal striker turned down a move to Premiership new boys Wigan Athletic yesterday after Wolves had accepted an offer in excess of £3million.

But the deal could still be resurrected if Wigan were to improve personal terms. Wolves chief executive Jez Moxey believes that the very fact that a club has actually followed up their interest in hard cash might tempt one or two others into action.

He said: "We had accepted the price offered by Wigan. It was just agreeing personal terms which did not prove anywhere near as straightforward.

"But there have been other interested parties all along and it's possible they might now realise they have to make a bid as well."

It seemed Camara would be Wigan-bound when he was not present for Wolves' annual photocall at Molineux on Monday, discussions with Paul Jewell's side having begun.

But, after more than a year of Camara-induced frustration, and at least two interrupted family holidays, Moxey can only hope that this is merely the beginning of the end of this saga.

Having already recouped more than the £1.5million they originally paid French side Sedan for Camara two summers ago in loan fees from Celtic and Southampton, Wolves are at least already into profit on him. They have, in Moxey, a man who has regularly proved in previous transfer marker negotiations that he is hard and patient enough to hang on for the best price.

Camara had not been expected to kick another ball for Wolves since first shocking the club by handing in a transfer request at the end of the 2003-04 season, weeks after an ugly attempt by the club to keep him by making a big show of naming him 'player of the season'.

After weeks of speculation, and two extensions of his summer holiday, Camara honoured his contract by returning for pre-season training. Despite Camara making all the right noises about playing again for Wolves, it is unlikely that he would have been made to feel welcome. His expected departure is the obvious solution.

While Wolves are being kept waiting in their plan to off-load Camara, manager Glenn Hoddle is satisfied with the input of his two main striker's, last term's 35-goal duo Kenny Miller and Carl Cort.

The equally unsettled Miller would have left for Sunderland this summer had Moxey accepted a £1.2million bid for a player who has only a year remaining on his contract. But Wolves see the Scottish international as a key factor in their bid to regain Premiership status.

Hoddle, very pleased with his unselfish, hard-working contribution in pre-season, said: "I know he didn't score against Aston Villa on Saturday but his performance was enormous.

"His passing was like Platini, as good as I've seen from him.

"I know he's a singleminded individual who just wants to score goals but he also showed what a good team player he is."

Hoddle is also very pleased with the contribution of Cort, who goes into Saturday's opener at Southampton having scored six goals in preseason. Hoddle said: "Like any striker, scoring goals does wonders for your confidence."