Eastwood's a wanted man

David Cuffley Coventry are favourites to foil any bid by Norwich City boss Glenn Roeder for a reunion with striker Freddy Eastwood. Wolves boss Mick McCarthy has said he will listen to offers for the 24-year-old Eastwood, who suffered a miserable season at Molineux after his £1.5 million move from Southend last summer.

David Cuffley

Coventry are favourites to foil any bid by Norwich City boss Glenn Roeder for a reunion with striker Freddy Eastwood.

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy has said he will listen to offers for the 24-year-old Eastwood, who suffered a miserable season at Molineux after his £1.5 million move from Southend last summer.

Reports in the Midlands suggest the Canaries and Derby have joined Coventry and Crystal Palace in a four-way battle to sign the former West Ham forward.

Eastwood was an academy trainee when Roeder was manager at Upton Park before being released in 2003 without making a senior appearance.

With the City boss desperate to find new attacking firepower after Dion Dublin's retirement and loan striker Ched Evans' return to Manchester City - not to mention the release of Darren Huckerby - the Wales international is one option.

But Coventry chairman Ray Ranson revealed yesterday the Sky Blues will make a renewed bid for Eastwood.

McCarthy will struggle to recoup his outlay on a player who scored just four goals for Wolves, the last of them in August, and was sparingly used, starting just 12 games all season.

Coventry are expected to make a reduced offer after Wolves pulled the plug on a £1.5m switch in March, and the Ricoh Arena is reported to be Eastwood's preferred destination because he wants to stay in the area.

Derby, looking to completely rebuild after their miserable Premier League campaign, and Palace, beaten in the play-off semi-finals by Bristol City, are believed to be the other clubs in pursuit.

Essex-born Eastwood was a target for former City boss Peter Grant last season after scoring 65 goals in 135 appearances for Southend.