Mick McCarthy has said that he passed on the chance to sign Joey Barton for Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Barton moved from Newcastle United to Queens Park Rangers on a free transfer last month after becoming unsettled with the Magpies.

While McCarthy admires the 29-year-old, he said that the club's wage structure could not support him.

"He was offered to everyone... but I never would have [signed Barton]," he is quoted as saying.

“When we got promoted we tried to sign Premier League players and I’ve always had the support of [chairman Steve Morgan] and [chief executive Jez Moxey] but we are never going to sign players on £65,000 a week."

Wolves will host QPR for a Premier League clash on Sunday.