Hull City boss Phil Brown now says that Town have increased their valuation of striker Alan Lee. Earlier in the week the Tigers manager said the Blues had “come down in their estimation” of the Republic of Ireland international's worth.

Reports today in Yorkshire quote Brown as saying that Lee's price increased after Town failed to secure Franny Jeffers's signature: "Ipswich are wanting us to up the stakes and we're not prepared to.

"He was a certain value when Franny Jeffers was on the shopping list of Ipswich, but when Jeffers went off the radar, all of a sudden Alan Lee's value went up.

"I don't find that to be a very good way of doing business. They've got their valuation of Alan Lee and we've got ours, but I want to stress that we'll be sticking to ours."

Town have turned down two bids from Hull for Lee, the first believed to be in the region of £400,000 and the second £200,000 higher.

Brown is the second manager in two days to criticise the way the Blues are handling themselves in the transfer market this summer. Yesterday Plymouth boss Ian Holloway expressed his anger at what he saw as Jim Magilton's attempts to unsettle midfielder David Norris by making public statements regarding the Blues' unsuccessful enquiry regarding the £450,000-rated player.

Hull are also reported to be talking to Leeds striker Richard Cresswell, although the Tigers are understood to want to recruit at least two new frontmen this summer.

Jeffers meanwhile, scored for Blackburn's reserves in a 4-0 friendly victory at Bamber Bridge on Wednesday.

Elsewhere, reports in Spain claim the Blues have suspended a move for trialist César Navas due to the central defender's broken metatarsal.

According to several Spanish newspapers, Town had told Málaga that they were keen to sign trialist César Navas prior to the former Gimnàstic de Tarragona loanee picking up the knock at Crawley on Tuesday.

The clubs had already been in discussions regarding a fee, with the Blues offering €600,000 (£400,000) for the 6ft 4in-tall centre-half, but with Málaga pricing him at €1 million (£670,000). Navas is expected to be out for between six and eight weeks with the injury.

Get the fastest and most comprehensive Ipswich Town news service at ipswichtown.footballlatest.co.uk.

Photo: Action Images

Ipswich Town Polls