WANDERERS are growing anxious in the waiting game for Zat Knight.

The club look poised to make a £2.5million bid for the giant centre half but must first wait for Aston Villa to kick their own transfer plans into gear.

Despite being linked with West Ham’s Matthew Upson, Portsmouth’s Sylvain Distin and Newcastle United’s Sebastien Bassong, Martin O’Neill is yet to make a firm move in the transfer market this summer.

Gary Megson will have to bide his time until he does, and with the Whites boss keen to get his own squad into shape before they embark on their pre-season tour of Germany and Holland, he may now explore other options.

Knight had certainly not given up on his Villa career yesterday, telling the club’s website that he hoped to be regarded as the long-term replacement for recently retired club skipper Martin Laursen.

“We will miss Martin,” he said. “We missed him at the end of last season. But it gives others an opportunity now — and hopefully that can be me. I want to give myself a good pre-season and then be in the side when the new campaign starts.”

One transfer that seems to be close to reaching a conclusion is that of South Korea international Lee Chung-Yong.

The 21-year-old winger is believed to have agreed personal terms with Wanderers, and his transfer from K-League side FC Seoul is expected to be cleared up by the end of the week.

Megson hopes to add three more names to the squad by the time he flies back from the club’s fitness camp in Austria on Saturday and has expressed his concerns about the lack of numbers currently available to him.

“We sailed too close to the wind last year, turning up to places like the Emirates with three subs,” he said.

“That was all a consequence of what we had done before — what had to happen.

“But that’s why in this transfer window it is so important to get some quality back in the squad.

“It can’t just be anyone. There is no point in having 35 players and being bottom of the league. But right now, we have got to make sure we are not bottom of the league with 14 players.”

The squad is currently being put through its paces in the Alps, in the small spa town of Bad Aussee.

And Megson says it is imperative that the players are stretched to their limit, to keep up impressive figures for last season. The players are working hard and building up their base fitness before we get on to the longer stuff later in the month,” he said.

“It’s very hot up here in the Alps, so it’s gruelling stuff to say the least. I’m glad I’m not doing it, put it that way.

“Our fitness levels were very good last season, and I believe they were second best in the whole Premier League in and out of possession.

“The lads are training twice a day over here, it’s no holiday, there are some gruelling sessions but we believe it will be to our benefit in the long run.”