Transfer window: Leon Clarke re-signs for Wolves from Coventry

Promotion-chasing Wolves have re-signed striker Leon Clarke from League One rivals Coventry City for a fee understood to be close to £750,000.

The much-travelled striker, who hit 28 goals in 12 months at Coventry, asked for a transfer at the start of January.

Wolves have now been successful with their third bid for Clarke, who had 18 months left on his Coventry contract.

Including loan deals, this is the 16th career move for the 28-year-old Wolverhampton-born Academy product.

After 15 goals in 35 (48) appearances, including loan spells with Kidderminster Harriers, Queens Park Rangers and Plymouth Argyle, Clarke left his home-town club for Sheffield Wednesday in January 2007.

Having left for a nominal fee, since reported to have been £300,000, it suggests that Wolves have now bought him back seven years on for more than double what they sold him for.

After further loan spells at Oldham Athletic and Southend United, he rejoined QPR on a free transfer in June 2010.

Another loan with Preston North End was then followed by his next move to Swindon Town in August 2011.

After a spat with Swindon manager Paolo Di Canio, he then departed on loan in the August transfer window for Chesterfield, where he spent the first half of the 2011-12 season before moving to Charlton Athletic on a free transfer in the January window.

Yet another loan transfer, to Crawley, was completed before he finally found his feet in a loan move in September 2012 to Scunthorpe United, for whom he hit 11 goals in 15 games.

That earned him his move to Coventry, then Sky Blues boss Mark Robins signing him, initially on loan, from the Addicks in January 2013.

Sky Blues manager Steven Pressley, who has now been linked with a move for young Aston Villa striker Nathan Delfouneso (back from loan at Blackpool), says that the club feel "let down" by Clarke.

"When a player wants to go and he's not been let go, he's going to be unhappy," said Pressley.

"But I've said all along we would only do the deal if it's right for the football club."

Clarke's return to Molineux could now signal the expected exit of Wolves' 13-goal top scorer Leigh Griffiths, the Scotland international having been heavily linked with a move back north of the border to Neil Lennon's Celtic.

"Neil Lennon obviously rates Leigh," Wolves boss Kenny Jackett told BBC WM. "He saw a lot of him last season when he hit 29 goals and was top scorer in the Scottish Premier.

"He's a really good lad, with the other players and the club. But he has expressed his interest, as I suppose any passionate Scot would, in Celtic's bid."

Griffiths was on the bench for Wolves' 3-0 win at Oldham on Tuesday night.

"My concentration this week was on this game," added Jackett. "I'd have had a call if it was anything different. I was happy to bring him and name him and, if needs be, use him."