Preston North End are reported to have made Town an offer for Macedonian midfielder Veliche Shumulikoski. In March, the 28-year-old was unhappy that former manager Jim Magilton blocked a loan switch to the Lilywhites.

Alan Irvine's club were one of a number of Championship sides interested in taking the former Bursaspor and Zenit St Petersburg man for the final months of 2008/09, along with Watford and QPR, but Magilton wouldn't allow a move to to a club competing with the Blues for a play-off place.

Shumulikoski said at the time: "Yesterday they were supposed to accept the offer from Preston North End and I should have had my debut for them today. But it wasn't allowed by the manager Magilton.

"I was angry and I couldn't stand it any more. I want to play in a team that has ambitions for promotion to the Premier League. My wish was Preston but Ipswich forces me to go to Watford or QPR."

Reports of further Preston interest are therefore no surprise, particularly with new Town manager Roy Keane adding former Cork midfielder Colin Healy to his squad last week, a player who has so far been used in the holding midfield role instead of Shumulikoski.

The Macedonian joined the Blues from Turkish side Bursaspor in January 2008 for a fee of £500,000, signing a contract until June 2010. Since then, Shumulikoski has made 33 starts and 10 sub appearances, scoring once.

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