Town striker Jon Stead is weighing up whether to join Coventry City on loan with a view to a permanent move in the summer. Stead, the Blues' joint top scorer along with Jon Walters with six, has been on the bench since the arrival of Daryl Murphy and David Healy earlier this month.

According to reports in the Midlands, Town gave Coventry permission to hold talks with Stead yesterday and the Sky Blues hope to have the deal completed in time for the 26-year-old to face QPR — for the second time in a few days - on Saturday.

Coventry boss Chris Coleman has already added West Ham’s Freddie Sears to his squad and says he is hopeful of landing his second striking target: “We’ve been working hard to get a striker in before Saturday but we are still working away hard to get one more in before the weekend.

“Everything is agreed with the club and it is just getting him to sign, so I don’t want to tempt fate but we are very optimistic.”

Stead joined the Blues from Sheffield United at the start of the 2008/09 season, initially on loan before Town paid the Blades a fee of £600,000.

A switch to Coventry may well suit Town and Stead with the player appearing unlikely to play too many games now that Murphy and Healy have signed on loan from Sunderland, while the Blues are looking to make savings on the wage bill as they target further loan additions.

Meanwhile, new Town loanee David Healy says he is enjoying his time with the Blues. Writing in his column in the Belfast Telegraph, Healy said: "Two games into my new career at Ipswich Town and I have to say I’m loving it.

"After sitting on the bench or in the stands for most of the season with Sunderland, it’s fantastic to feel part of things again at a football club.”

Photo: Action Images

Wallingford_Boy added 09:09 - Feb 12 Probably for the best, is only 4th choice at best behind Walters, Pablo, Healy and Murph and an average CCC player at best. Good luck Jon!
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PablosRightBoot added 09:09 - Feb 12 Not too sure about that decision really. If I were to let Steady go, I would at least waited for Healy to get a bit more match-fit. Thought Steady did a good job for us
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bedsitfc added 09:11 - Feb 12 he may aswell go as he is well down the pecking order now and it will free up wages for someone else to come in
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JonTheBass added 09:11 - Feb 12 As I said on the forum, fine if it means there's someone else better lined up, but if not I think it leaves us light.
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Plums added 09:12 - Feb 12 Don't feel Stead's really been able to show his full potential since leaving Huddersfield. A good player but managers always seem to see him as playing a cameo role. They see him in training and we only get a look once a week so I guess they can't all be wrong. Hope it works out for him, there's a good footballer hiding in there.
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Surco72 added 09:13 - Feb 12 Dont think he has been given a proper run of games ,only once this season where he scored a few in a row . 6 goals in 13 starts ,where he has played left wing ,right wing and lone striker in a sytem that didnt work . Good luck whatever happens
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Vic added 09:14 - Feb 12 What? he's probably been our brightest thing up front this season and now we might let him go? Strange, very strange - but then Keano seems to like to do 'strange'! I want the guy to succeed because he manages my team, but his decisions so far don't fill me with confidence that he is working to a master plan. I just hope that he knows something I don't because I can't see the sense in letting my better players go!

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Gary added 09:14 - Feb 12 Seems crazy, was playing very well until suspension and is good option off the bench at worst, also letting go to a side who are within a few points of us seems a bit odd. Imagine if Priskin and Stead score the goals which keep both sides up and we continue to struggle. We can only play one more loanee anyhow can't we (5 in matchday squad)??
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GodBlue added 09:17 - Feb 12 I think RK is planning ahead here. Getting a contracted striker off the books will, I would imagine, make it slightly easier for Mr Clegg to convince Mr Evans to part with a bit of cash in the summer for a new one to fill the void, maybe sooner if we can agree a similar deal with another club in the meantime. If Cov are willing to pay for him and Keane was already planning to get rid, it makes sense for all parties. Good luck Steady.

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My_Left_Foot added 09:21 - Feb 12 what is the sense in offloading him to one of our relegation rivals?
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peakyboy added 09:23 - Feb 12 good move.. lets face it, everywhere his been, he just doesnt score enough goals. keane obviously doesnt like him as a player. im sure someone better will come in.
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blueoveru added 09:33 - Feb 12 I hope this is a joke as JS is a good player & far better than Counago & with better service would have scored more goals ,add to that Priskin going to QPR ,Rhodes sold early before getting a chance,Lisbie out on loan & if Healy/Murphy fail where does that leave us ?.
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Vic added 09:34 - Feb 12 Peakyboy - 6 in 13 starts is not a bad strike rate, is it? I think we'd be happy if Murph & Healy did that for us.
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southernblue added 09:37 - Feb 12 As we're in a relegation battle it seems odd to be helping out teams above us. Free's up some money though I suppose
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PimsNumber1 added 09:39 - Feb 12 His strike rate is decent. He always works his socks off and tacles back and closes down . I think he is worth double to the team than pablo who doesnt track back enough and doesnt score either. The difference is Pablo is happy to stay here and we can get him to move , end of. At least stead is showing some ambition to move if he isnt an auto choice. Stead surely is number 3 after the new arrivals as walters is not a striker . And they COULD be gone in a few months anyway. Weird decision. As for getting someone better in now , thats very very unlikely .

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BlueysNosebag added 09:41 - Feb 12 WTF is Kene thinking? He should offload that Spanish waster. He and Evans are ruining this club. KEANE OUT!!!
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La_Paz added 09:42 - Feb 12 It must be at least partially about wages-as fourth choice he may be relatively expensive, especially when we have Connor and Walters who could do a job if required. Has scored some good goals but also been inconsistent for me this season. I don't think Keane has anything against him as he's been picking him regularly, often ahead of Pablo and Priskin, but surely he's better off playing than on our bench.

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marshy added 09:44 - Feb 12 i'd rather get rid of pablo!!! imo stead gives alot more when he's playing!!!
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tontony added 09:45 - Feb 12 I'm really unsure about this, I think Stead can still do a job for us and he has shown (before he got banned) that when he's given a decent run of games & the midfield is getting the balls in the box he can bang the goals in. My concern is that if we get rid of Stead now who do we have to play up front if Murph or Healy get injured? Pablo, hasn't played many games this season and when he has, hasn't made any impact at all. Wickham is def a wicked youngster but is he quite ready for an extended run in the 1st team and will he score the amount of goals needed in a possible relegation battle? The other option that's been mentioned is getting yet ANOTHER striker in on loan but come the end of the season and they all jog back to their parent clubs we will be in a worst situation up front than we started with this season!!! I hope Keano knows what he's doing coz I think this could come back and bite him in the arse.

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dirtydingusmagee added 09:47 - Feb 12 I'd be sorry to see him go, but suppose its innevitable now . Good luck to him .
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ChambersM added 09:47 - Feb 12 NOOOOO, dont be stupid keane!
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8ashblue added 09:47 - Feb 12 The problem with Stead is that he cant lead the line. His heading is non existent so unless Walters plays we have no outlet for keeper etc. Also he seems to need loads of space as his control isnt the best and therefore cant cope in tight situations. Murphy is definitely an improvement plus Healy hasnt got going yet so clearly RK has someone in mind if he's letting Stead go.

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jas0999 added 09:48 - Feb 12 Sadly, Jon is not good enough. Sure, a decent run of 6 goals in 10 games, but simply awful up to that point. Since returning he has also looked poor. He's also very inconsistent with a lets face it has a very poor goal ratio. We also have Pablo (who's looked lively), Walters and Wickham. I wouldn't be surprised if Roy has lined up a replacement. Unfortunately Stead was bought on big money - his wages are likely to be high. As a result we need to offload. End of story really.

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kev_b20 added 09:51 - Feb 12 I am really dis-heartened by this news.... I really rate stead! He has not been able to play his best position for us this year, and when he has he has scored consecutive goals..... When used as a target man, he is wasted, as this is not him... He prefers to play off someone... I cannot remember which game it was, but it was was when garvan had played it to peters on the wing, who swung a ball into the feet of stead, who turned and tucked it in the corner.... Thats the sort of player who stead is, but he has not got the service from a very mixed and muddled midfield. After he goes, that leaves us with Murph, Healy, connor and Wickham... I would imagine he is going to bring is someone else to replace him, but that will be someone else new who is going to need to settle in (as possibly gain some fitness)....

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MightyPaz added 09:55 - Feb 12 I think pretty much all the players Keane didn't sign have targets on their back bar Walters and McCauley. I'm glad we stuck with Delaney but if Roy hadn't brought him in would we have? He just likes having his own guys in there I think. Stead isn't a 20 goals a season man, that's who I'd like to see brought in. Hopefully he won't join Clarke, Rhodes, Bowditch in suddenly kicking into form once he's gone though.

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