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

blue_em_away added 09:55 - Feb 12 Yes I have to agree with you "La Paz" I DON'T agree that Keane is ruining our club like some have said. The guy wants the best for Ipswich while he is in charge. Otherwise its broom pushing in Cork. And he knows this.
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imalwayswrong added 09:56 - Feb 12 For me...... stead does not link up with anyone we have played next to him upfront. He is selfish, which i know for a striker can be a good quality .... but surely not to the detriment to the team and team performance. Mr K has already offloaded him from his side in a previous life, to me it was a case of making do with the tools he had at the time. Now its time for the change. If you could go back on this forum many supporters were gobsmacked when Magilton signed Stead in the first place. His record has been good for town overall which most proobably means he has a good resale value - cash in now!

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naa added 09:57 - Feb 12 I'm not too sorry to see him go as he's only ever shown anything in fits and starts. But, he has shown he can score - top scorer this year despite hardly getting a start - and why are we loaning him to a league rival? That's a foolish thing to do at this stage, surely.
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ChambersM added 09:57 - Feb 12 you cant sell stead OR pablo, what happends when murphy and healy dont want to join us permanently and we're stuck with no strikers?!?!
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PimsNumber1 added 10:01 - Feb 12 Both pablo and wickham are just not good enough in my opinion. Stead should be infront of them every time. Wickham has potential but thats all. What ive seen of him for the youth and first team he is ok but nothing more , at the moment. He is too anxious to score, he sees a chance and blasts it , ignoring better placed teammates. Inexperience or hogging the ball but not what we need .Stead is an honest pro , and its a shame he is going. Godd luck Jon .

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RainhamBlue1 added 10:06 - Feb 12 Wouldnt be too happy with this if it did happen... i believe Jon Stead is a useful option to have upfront, especially at the moment due to Healy not being match fit
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bleedblue added 10:07 - Feb 12 All you clowns that want rid of pablo are blind!! He is the most technical player we have - FACT!
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La_Paz added 10:17 - Feb 12 Agree 100% bleedblue. And deaf as well, because they don't hear us singing his name every week. However I'd put Leadbitter up there now as well, pure class.
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bubblesblue79 added 10:28 - Feb 12 stead in / pablo out,,,, if anyone has to go at all...
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finidigeorge88 added 10:35 - Feb 12 Different wasn't expecting this, but you don't what is going to happen next maybe ben thatcher will play tuesday night, Stern John's going to come back in on loan haha
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Blue4life added 10:37 - Feb 12 I think if we stead go we will see 1 come our way. I think we should do a swap deal Stead for Morrison seems good dont ya think???
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Surco72 added 10:40 - Feb 12 Jas0999 he has 19 goals in 38 starts for us what is poor about that ? If we are getting rid of Stead to bring in Kennedy dont think it is a great move ,as if Murphy and Healy dont work we are limited up front for options
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bennyblue added 10:41 - Feb 12 seems daft one of the only players who has a semi-decent strike rate but then this season has been plagued with poor management decisions and defeatist perfomances guess thats why we are where we are.! a relegation possibility' poor playing team overall someone will see sense soon i hope but to be honest it may be to late.if we survive we should clear the decks get a new GOOD manager in and stop the downward spiral

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naa added 10:41 - Feb 12 PimsNumber1: "He is too anxious to score, he sees a chance and blasts it , ignoring better placed teammates" that quote from you about Wickham, for me, perfectly describes Stead. He NEVER passes. Ever. That's his biggest problem. Otherwise, he's a half-decent player
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candyshop added 10:48 - Feb 12 ...it makes perfect sense.....Stead is on big wages compared to Pabs, and lets face it Stead isn't the worst striker but at the same time he isn't the one to take us to the next level... Good move all-round.
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dubblue added 10:49 - Feb 12 Unless we really need the money I think this is a bad idea. Hopefully Murphy/Healy will work out but we have been through so many striker combinations I am not so sure. Stead has a better strike rate than Pablo even if he is not technically as good.
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james1989 added 10:55 - Feb 12 yeah let him go on loan!!! but not let him move in the summer, hes really improved and his work rates very good now!!! its unfair to bring in two loan players and push him out completely however good murphy and healy are, stead a good player aswell and deserves a chance!!!!
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50yearsablue added 11:00 - Feb 12 I wish a few of the contributors would reflect a little before leaping in with uninformed comments. Let's face it, none of us knows what goes on inside the club and are only privy to the information they release. Otherwise it's often conjecture and speculation. Therefore, how can we slate Keane for some of his transfer dealings? We don't know, for example, whether he already has an agreement in place with Sunderland and Murphy and Healy regarding permanent deals in the summer if things go well. We do know, however, for those of you who say get rid of Counago that he is happy here, has every right to stay and probably will do so whether picked or not. I am on the fence with regard to Stead as he was hot when he was suspended but has not looked the part since and it may be that this is a good opportunity to cash in which may not repeat itself. Those of you who are criticising are probably the same ones who were slagging off McAuley and Delaney earlier in the season. They are now the rocks on which our improvement is founded so who are we to judge?

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yun added 11:03 - Feb 12 One in four-ish career record. Nuff said. He has provided a few useful goals and a little bit of endeavour, but we should be looking to replace with better if we have any ambition.
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beerhelps added 11:09 - Feb 12 Stead has consistantly brought more to the team than Pablo this season, his goal ratio is far better than any other striker we currently have, (bar Murphy). We all know Walters is wasted as a front runner and that Conners not ready yet. To let Stead go must mean that RK has someone else coming, or else we are going to be very short of effective cover should Healy not regain form or he or Murphy get injured. For the first time this season I am starting to worry.

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yorksblue added 11:16 - Feb 12 Stead goes, Murphy and Healy go at end of season, Pablo remains crap and Keano decides to invest in a striker around Dec 2010. Magic!
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TractorBoyOlly added 11:21 - Feb 12 NO, NO, NO! Keano's managerial skills are almost as bad as Magilton's. How can you let your joint top scorer go out on loan?! Ok so we've got murph and Healy but lets face it healy hasnt exactly set the world alight. And besides whats wrong with having 5 strikers in your squad? Up until now we've been moaning about not having enough! Keano needs to give him a chance against Peterborough and play with two big strikers against a team who really are there for the taking. This will be the biggest mistake of Keane's short town career if this move goes ahead.

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ITGIRL added 11:42 - Feb 12 50yearsablue — some sense in all this insanity. Very well said.
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Doctor_Albran added 11:50 - Feb 12 It would be a shame to see him go as he was starting to click before his sending off, but from a business perspective better to get a deal done now when somebody is willing to pay a fee on the back of his pre-chrimbo success rather than trying to off load him at the end of the season after he's started a handful of games between now and then. Sell while the price is high (or at least good!)...

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MarcFowler added 11:54 - Feb 12 No!!!!!! This is an awful idea! Stead is by far and away our most reliable.. bloody player probably. He works constantly, he scores.. ARGH! Ok. I love him - seriously, I think he's completely awesome - this move will make me die a little.
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