The only way things could get worse for Wolves is if they were to suffer a third successive relegation next term and end up in League 2.

It has been an alarming slide for the Midlands club from the Premier League to relegation from the Championship with barely a whimper.

Now Wolves face the prospect of having their fangs removed one by one as the alpha males in the pack will be sold to the highest bidder.

Kevin Doyle will be chief among the cubs to flee the den. He has never been a prolific goalscorer, but the Ireland striker’s goal return of nine goals in 42 games in the second tier of English football this season was poor by his standards.

Yet the Co Wexford native has been linked with Premier League sides like West Brom and Everton, while he almost moved to Celtic in January.

Whatever destination he chooses will be key for his Ireland future. Overtaken by Shane Long, Conor Sammon and Jon Walters in the Ireland pecking order since Euro 2012, his primary focus should be on finding a club where he can get regular starts to propel himself into Giovanni Trapattoni’s plans.

Most important summer

Doyle turns 30 in September which makes this summer the most important of his career – a time when he should at his peak. There may be regular opportunities at lower mid-table clubs or newly promoted ones, with regular starts unlikely at either Everton or West Brom.

The lure of potential Champions League football at Celtic would also be seductive. However, while playing in the qualifying rounds in Europe and potentially at least six games in the last-32 is a major draw, the standard of play in the SPL is not alluring.

Irish players may not give the continent much thought, but there is no reason why a technically sound player like Doyle could not do well abroad.

Just three years ago Serie A giants Juventus were said to have shown serious interest in acquiring his services. That move did not materialise and this time round clubs of Juventus’ stature will definitely not come calling.

But there are clubs in second tier leagues like Holland, France, Russia and Turkey where he could find first team opportunities as well as the potential of Champions League or Europa League football.

The technical level in those countries is far higher than the SPL, the Championship and the lower end of the Premier League which would make it a learning experience.

Even mid-table sides in La Liga, Serie A or the Bundesliga would not be a wholly unrealistic option if there is interest forthcoming from both parties.

If Doyle and a foreign club are interested in a transfer and wages can be agreed on, clubs like Feyenoord, Sevilla, Besiktas and Saint Etienne among others would be intriguing and suitable destinations.

However, there is an inherent risk in leaving the UK in terms of his Ireland future. It is very likely that the fear of falling off the national team radar is a motivating factor that prevents some Irish players from moving to continental clubs.

Aiden McGeady is a tentative answer that a move abroad is not necessarily a risk. The former Celtic winger eschewed a move to the Premier League in favour of the Russian Premier League.

Since joining Spartak Moscow in 2010 he has played in the Champions League and racked up an impressive 10 goals and 19 assists in 58 league games for the club.

It has not harmed his international prospects thus far. However one must note that he was already a Trap favourite before his move and the Ireland manager has generally remained loyal to certain players.

Doyle’s problem is that he is one of those players whose status has diminished recently, which would make any move quite risky indeed.