Town are set to sign Celtic captain Stephen McManus on loan with a view to a £2.5 million permanent move, according to reports in Scotland. McManus is out of favour under Tony Mowbray’s management at Parkhead despite having been named in George Burley’s latest Scotland squad.

Lanark-born McManus, 26, came through the youth ranks at Celtic, making his senior debut in the 2003/04 season. In 2007 he was made captain and up to now he has made 188 starts and one sub appearance for the Bhoys, scoring 20 goals, playing alongside Roy Keane during his spell at Celtic.

For Scotland, 6ft 2in tall McManus has won 18 caps and has scored one goal.

An experienced centre-half very much looks to be one of Roy Keane’s targets with the Blues having conceded a number of poor goals during the season so far.

Elsewhere, Town are also again being linked with Sunderland trio Daryl Murphy, Nyron Nosworthy and Carlos Edwards. The Blues boss was due to watch the trio in action in the Black Cats’ Carling Cup tie at Norwich on Monday.

Alex Bruce’s installation as captain in place of Gareth McAuley is also reported this morning, as revealed by TWTD earlier in the week.

Photo: Action Images

motch2009 added 10:07 - Aug 26 be FANTASTIC signing but lets believe it when we see it.....
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ItfcLoyal added 10:09 - Aug 26 still need a striker
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Back_The_Boss added 10:20 - Aug 26 If it's true, he's a great signing. Good leader, he can be captain!
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mickeyjb added 10:24 - Aug 26 I wonder what the actual chance of this happening is? I'm not holding my breath as we've done nothing of substance all transfer window so far, so actually getting 3 good players in during the last few days is a long shot. I hope this player and the others menchioned do arrive because if not its going to be a long boring let down of a season again, maybe even more-so than previous as we expected to do well this one.

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OakingtonBlue added 10:25 - Aug 26 McManus, Watson, and Edwards. Tidy that. Evans get the reddies out.
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agc232 added 10:40 - Aug 26 This has potential to be massive!!!
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TractorYid added 10:45 - Aug 26 Get him in Keane, we need someone strong at the back. McManus in Mccauley out! Make Wrighty captain. He's the only player on that pitch doing the job, the only player i see shouting at home games. Still think we need a goalscorer, why keep paying out 1.5m or so, add another mill or so we can get a decent goalscorer who will guarantee us goals! Also why did we not sign Ameobi last season?! Yes he might have a little injury concern, but look at him at this level, banging in goals for Newcastle. Try signing young ENGLISH players on loan from premierleague sides, O'Hara from spurs, im sure Harry would let him go for more experience for a season. Sort it out Keane! Shocking Start.

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AlexITFC added 10:47 - Aug 26 Sounds like a great move! hope we get Nosworthy, Edwards and Murphy in too, would defo stregthen our squad also very pleased that Bruce is now captain, he is the only player in the team that has passion and always gets stuck in
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marchy added 10:52 - Aug 26 This could be a great signing, but RK said nothing was imminent in the transfer market...both stories can't be right...
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Greektractor added 10:55 - Aug 26 chill yourselves fellow tractor fans this is nothing but a rumour and if it doesn't go through then we're all gunna be very dissapointed again.
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TractorBoy added 11:01 - Aug 26 Good news about Stephen McManus, would also like to see Nyron Nosworthy, Carlos Edwards, Ben Watson and Jan Venegoor od Hesselink (who is a free agent)! Get rid of Garvan, Stead, McAuley (Delaney and Trotter too- but that would be more unlikely) and we'll be fine.
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LondonBlue added 11:02 - Aug 26 Atleast this way if his signing turns out shite...we can opt out of the 2.5 mill! But seems to be a good move all round.
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bostonusablue added 11:06 - Aug 26 All doubters about this story should believe it. I posted this news late last night, after I read it on the BBC website. They are not often wrong with their information.
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warkway added 11:08 - Aug 26 great if a prem club doesnt nick him first. central midfield seems to me to be the real gap with Garvan going, Trotter out of his depth and Norris out. also Priskin and Counago aren't going to score 25 plus goals between them a season, so desparatley need another goal scorer. maybe our appalling start is all part of keane's gran plan to get ME to spend more cash. maybe.

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derbytractoryboy added 11:13 - Aug 26 Need to seriously stengthen the back line up and McManus would be a solid proven centre back for the club, in the mould of Mogga which is why its strange he isnt playing for Celtic. Come on Roy, use your Man Utd links more!!!! BTW loving Franny Jeffers being a complete numpty at Sheff Wed, different story if he'd joined us 2 years ago!! STEAD TO DERBY!!
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IainB added 11:18 - Aug 26 He didn't have the best of seasons last year, but how long he was playing with an injury is debatable. He is as hard as nails and the sort of guy who will play on until he is dragged of the pitch. He lacks pace, but he is a good leader and is certainly a better captain than McAuley. I wouldn't bother with Venegoor of Hesselink unless we can get some decent crosses into the box. He is the sort of player who needs the ball played right to him, as again he lacks pace.

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Dogsy40 added 11:40 - Aug 26 Waiting game,Keano wont say if he has anything in the fire as he has already been bitten by Stoke and Hull with the Whitehead/Murphy deal. Watson, McManus, Nosworthy, Edwards and Murphy would all be super signings. Throw in Gio, BANG premier league Tiem will tell. In Keano we trust. GO U BLUES
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RedDust added 12:03 - Aug 26 i love sixto peralta.. always remeber his quick touches which would make a defender think twice in tackling him... would be a brill option if dos santos doesnt work out!!!
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thinblueline added 12:06 - Aug 26 Need to stop being nice at the back nothing wrong with an old fashioned defender who can put his knee in the back of a striker in the first 5 to let him know he is there. I am fed up with watching town knowing we are going to concede. Glad Mcauley dropped league1/2 is right for him. Garvan never capatalised on his potential.
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NW5Tractor added 12:09 - Aug 26 yes please. gio too, job done. bring back marcus stewart still banging them in for exeter!
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bigfish added 12:09 - Aug 26 Get the defence sorted is some of the problem, attacker i will trust RK as he knows the player he is after. Hopefully we will gel more as a unit and climb the table.
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hollywoodginge added 12:26 - Aug 26 sixto_peralta it actually broke on bbc sports website. would be a great signing.
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3wheeltractorboy added 12:27 - Aug 26 That's all we need some, someone from Celtic who is good only at skipping! Our scouts (probably boy scouts...) really need to start looking at footballers, this I beleive is where we are going wrong. Rangers have a young lad who is good at hopscotch, so the two may well solve our problem at the back.
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radiogaga added 12:29 - Aug 26 McManus, Nosworthy and Edwards would all be excellent and exciting signings for us. Yes all the eeors who have commented before, we do need midfield reinforcements, so there is sure to be activity on that front also I would expect. Keane is a promotion winning manager, he knows what is required to make a good squad so we need to respect what he is doing with Stead and Garvan. He blatantly has bigger plans up his sleeve, so wait and see what happens guys

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dobbie73 added 12:36 - Aug 26 "Birmingham fan here— Mcleish is looking to sign Mcomark of Cardiff, to replace Kevin Phillips who according to several local sources is having talks in Ipswich today" taken from http://www.football-rumours.co.uk .... could be interesting, even if only for a season! He can still do it at this level I'm sure.
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