Wolves boss Mick McCarthy is confident he will be given the cash backing to assemble a Premier League squad following promotion from the Championship. "We've got to be pro-active in the market and market forces will dictate," he said in the Express and Star.

"We will have to compete with Premier League teams on and off the pitch if we want to be a Premier League club.

"You want to bring in players who are going to be successful. What if you get someone in on a Bosman with no transfer fee involved?

"But if you're going to spend £5million, £6m, £7m or £10m on someone - does that not mean you'll have to give them more money?

"They require paying and surely you've got to do it because if you don't, you don't get them.

"Then you can end up with bringing in Championship players and end up back in the Championship.

"They're not all on the same money at our place now and if people come and earn it, they come and earn it.

"I was the same as a player - if someone came in who was a good player and did well, then no problem. They won't mind - it's just the way it works.

"We've got a young and hungry team but we'll be trying to bring in some established Premier League players which is very hard."

Strengthening his defence appears to be top of McCarthy's list of priorities, with numerous names already linked with the club.

He has, however, distanced himself from speculation linking Wolves with moves for Celtic's Bobo Balde and Portsmouth's Hermann Hreidarsson.

"Being absolutely specific, no," he said. "I saw the links, but I don't know where they've come from."