THE Wire are closing in on a potential replacement for Chris Sandow.

Wolves chiefs indicated this week they hope to make an announcement soon.

Negotiations look to be delicate as The Wire seek to bring in a new half back, following Australian Sandow’s decision last month to walk away from the remainder of his contract at The Halliwell Jones Stadium.

Speculation remains rife that Widnes Vikings skipper Kevin Brown is the man in Wolves’ sights, though neither club have confirmed or denied any such interest.

Brown, 32, ended six years as an England outcast when he was recalled for last month’s Four Nations tournament on the back of his 26 appearances in a black and white shirt in 2016.

Vikings have steadily grown as a force after building a team around the St Helens-born number six in the four seasons since he left Huddersfield Giants, with whom he spent six-and-a-half years after launching his career with Wigan as a teenager.

Brown, contracted until the end of 2018, was reported in July to be interesting Saints, who have since captured Matty Smith from Wigan.

It has become clear, despite Sandow’s poor timing, that Wolves are on a recruitment mission from a position of strength at a stage when most players have deals sorted for 2017.

With The Wire willing to pay transfer fees for contracted players, as they have done in recent times for Daryl Clark (£185,000), Joe Westerman (£150,000) and Tom Lineham (£140,000), the Warrington Guardian understands agents have ‘besieged’ Wolves with potential suitors from the ranks of Super League and the Australian NRL competition.

Former Cronulla Sharks utility back Ben Barba (free agent), ex-Catalans Dragons orchestrator Todd Carney (free agent), Warringtonian Joe Mellor (Widnes Vikings), vastly improved Jacob Miller (Wakefield Trinity Wildcats), out-of-favour Jackson Hastings (Sydney Roosters) and England international George Williams (Wigan Warriors) have all been linked in the media to Wolves.

Joining Warrington, who reached both finals and lifted the League Leaders’ Shield this year, would be an attractive proposition to many playmakers.

To have the opportunity to battle alongside young pretenders Dec Patton and Morgan Smith to partner former Australia Test star Kurt Gidley in the halves, and work under three former stand-offs in the shape of coaches Tony Smith, Richard Agar and Lee Briers, is enticing.

And the role could catch the eye as an opportunity to help ambitious Wolves and their passionate supporters get over the line after recent near misses in the Challenge Cup and Grand Final.