Wolves say Maierhofer is for sale
National team star Stefan Maierhofer is expected to leave Wolverhampton Wanderers ahead of the upcoming season after coach Mick McCarthy revealed there is interest in the striker from other clubs.The former Ireland manager said today (Weds): “Stefan is for sale. ( ) I tell the players if they can go and then I guess they tell their agents who go and drum up a bit of business – and get the business done. There is a bit of interest in Stefan from abroad.”Maierhofer had a difficult season with the Premiership outfit after joining them from Rapid Vienna last summer. He spent one month with Championship club Bristol City in March after failing to make the Wolves starting eleven, but was unable to make an impact there either.The 27-year-old striker, whose contract with Wolverhampton runs until 2012, is linked with a move to Germany as his agent Max Hagmayr confirmed interest from a Bundesliga side.Wolverhampton who finished the past season in 15th transferred around two million Euros for the former Bayern Munich player to Rapid in 2009.McCarthy fell out with Maierhofer after the 202-centimetre tall ace openly criticised his decision of rarely nominating him in an interview with Austrian TV channel ORF a few months ago.Maierhofer and Hagmayr are expected to intensify transfer measures as the strikers spot in the national team has been put at risk by his lack of match time in England.Austria faces Switzerland in a friendly in Klagenfurt on 11 August, while the qualification for the 2012 European Championship starts with a home match against Kazakhstan on 7 September.Wigan Athletic star Paul Scharner is meanwhile tipped to join Liverpool. Scharners contract at the Premier League side recently expired, and British sports press claim new Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson has set its sights on the defender.Hodgson reportedly wanted to sign the national team player during his time as Fulham manager.Four in ten Austrian Bundesliga club coaches meanwhile said they expected champions Red Bull Salzburg to defend their title this season.Sturm Graz boss Franco Foda, Kapfenberg manager Werner Gregoritsch, Magna Wiener Neustadts Peter Schöttel and “Bulls” coach Huub Stevens himself said they tipped the club to win the trophy once more.The 2010/2011 season kicks off this weekend.Red Bull put in a stellar display last night as they crushed Faroe Islands league champions HB Tórshavn 5-0 in the first leg of the second UEFA Champions League qualification round.