Boss Roy Keane will aim to sign as many of his summer targets as possible before pre-season training starts on June 28th but says it’s not always possible to get deals done early in the summer transfer window. The Town manager is looking to sign four or five new players while moving on a number of his first team squad.

Keane says that ideally he’d like the new players at the club in time for the start of Town’s pre-season preparations but says he has learned from previous years that this doesn’t always happen: “I’d like to, of course, but I’m pretty sure I won’t. I think every club is the same.

“I’ll think what you’ll find over the next few months is that negotiations drag out and, you might laugh at this, but chief executives go away, players go on their holidays, you think you can set medicals up, but it’s very, very difficult. I tried it last year, I tried it the year before, so there has to be an element of patience."

Keane says his priority is landing his targets who will be available on free transfers: “What we can try and do is finalise the players whose contracts are up. We’d like to get them tied up as quickly as possible and there might be one or two in the four or five I’m interested in.

“Then again, these players will have options and they’ll want to have a family holiday and will be having a good think about their future.

“I’d be very surprised if anything happened in the next two or three weeks, but we’d like them in by 28th June, certainly one or two players. But let’s wait and see.”

The Blues boss says that deals involving players who are still contracted to their clubs may be held up while their current sides look to bring in their own targets: “Their managers might be waiting to get one or two in before they move them out. Some people are waiting to sell before they can bring somebody in, and we also have the issue of moving players on.

“We’ve got a big squad, but our injuries are down 25% on last year, so we don’t need as many players as we have because our fitness programme is very, very good.”

Keane is set to talk further with chief executive Simon Clegg regarding the club's pre-season programme this week. The Blues boss is planning a return to Portugal for warm weather training and some friendlies in Ireland but wants to involve less travelling, while a session with the army is unlikely to be included this year.

Photo: Action Images

olimar added 09:41 - May 5 It would be useful if some fans remember to read this article in full, rather than reading the first line or so, then moaning in mid-August that Keane hasnt delivered because he promised he would get the players in early/never get players in early enough to get them integrated etc. This is how it works, Keane is just stating the obvious but some dont really seem to get that each year.

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BLUEBEAT added 09:54 - May 5 so they don't click/integrate straight away.... fair enough but after a season together?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! and !?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? !
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osborne1nil added 09:55 - May 5 I hope we have some tougher pre season opposition than last year to give the team a real test, not just for fitness but the ability to up their game against some of the better teams. Hopefully Civelli will be able to go through the pre season training and matches to get his match fitness and touch back before the season starts?
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blueherts added 10:14 - May 5 Cork City , Waterford , Cork City Under 11s and Sunderland - oh and Celtic X1 5 NIGHTS IN PORTUGAL ..Ready .......
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Lightningboy added 10:39 - May 5 Roy,maybe if you were capable of getting on with/managing what you've already got here then you wouldn't need to keep bringing in batch after batch of new players to experiment with...just a thought.
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mickeyjb added 11:34 - May 5 Fair point Roy makes, however I hope we are not all stuck to the website minutes before the transfer deadline waiting to see if the player we've been chasing comes to us or not.
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hrj added 11:46 - May 5 Like a good politician in the lead up to a election we have a manager that talks a good game. I think he will have a hard job moving players on and bringing good players to the club. Not sure Stead will move now Coleman has been sacked at Coventry.
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Mark added 12:28 - May 5 I think what Keane says here is fair enough, although I was sort of hoping that he had a right-back ready to sign after letting both D.Wright and Rosenior go. I'd definitely go for quality over quantity and make use of the squad players we have rather than bring in new squad players. Is the pre-season tour of Ireland a good idea? Perhaps we should try something different this time?

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MACKEMYANK added 12:47 - May 5 Pre-season in Ireland?? Sounds familiar but it's all down to the Keane factor. If you go there expect a lot of interest from Irish fans which increases to merchandising income from shirts etc. And it's a cracking trip too. Gotta be better than place such as Malaysia or Outer Mongolia.
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16_Jack_ken_16 added 12:49 - May 5 Keano how about you get chopra or someone in like gio like you say about doing. As for pre season some friendleys maybe. We should give tottenham a run for there money or sunderland both at home will do.
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old_and_blue added 13:10 - May 5 I hope he intend to buy wiser than he did last year.. and stop buying his Irish mates.. Lately, we have seen what a joke goalkeeper Murphy really is.. better than Wright? No Way!!.. but sulky Roy doesn't like RW.. I see RK is a bloke you can off quickly.. seems quite a few players have come to the same conclusion..
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Blueknight85 added 15:07 - May 5 we have not had a pre season without going to Ireland at some point for years have we? regardless of the obvious commercial advantages with Keane being Irelands David Beckham it makes sense as they are usually in full swing of their season aren't they? which makes for a good competitive match.
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WickedBlue added 15:21 - May 5 old and blue you made a statement as fact by stating RK doesn't like RW. Please post a link to anything written that RK has said he does not like RW....from everything I have read he has had nothing but praise for him. So why did he let him go? I can only give an opinion and not state it as fact but more likely wages than anything else. As for the Irish pre-season it makes sense with Roy at the helm we have picked up a lot of Irish supporters and the merchandising alone makes it a profitable trip.

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ITFC1985 added 15:50 - May 5 old_and_blue - How on earth is Brian Murphy a joke? surely he has to be one of Keanes most sound investments???
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stinkiusminkius added 16:31 - May 5 Itfc1985 - murphy could be a joke AND also one of keanes most sound investments, but that just sums up keanes investments really.
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h32 added 18:15 - May 5 When does the influx of more Sunderland rejects begin - won't have to wait too long, is my guess - that should set us all up in the right frame of mind for the summer. Especially if David Wright goes to Norwich - which looks likely. God Forbid.
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jas0999 added 18:35 - May 5 Roy made some poor signings. But why do people focus on that and not mention the good ones: B Murphy - a good keeper. Cost nothing A. Begovic - very good keeper S. O'Conner - ecellent find D. Delaney - poor start but up there in player of the year ratings G. Leadbitter - Decent player at this level. Never let us down. J. Colback - what can you say a superb signing D. Murphy - scored 6 crucial goals in a short period of time. Okay, some were loan players but they all count. We all know that C Healy, D Healy, Priskin and Martin didn't work out but actually he has signed more GOOD than bad. Personally I think Edwards has done okay - scored a crucial goal and played pretty well in some games. Certainly not on the good list yet - but nor the bad. People have short memories - despite what he thinks, Jim signed some real duffers and left us with players on HUGE contracts. Even Royle and Burley made some poor signings - Burley made LOTS of poor signings. So why rather than moan and be 100% negative - don't some of you focus on some good signings or do you really want Roy to fail that much? h32 - If you don't mind me saying I expected little better from you. Your posts are normally realistic and gives both sides - yet you fail to mention the Sunderland 'rejects' who have actually done really well for us!

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dirtydingusmagee added 18:39 - May 5 Keane you are going down further and further in my estimation [for what its worth ]. The longer summer signings are drawn out the worse it gets .you finish up with the dregs just prior to restart .If Town is to go into another season of rebuilding,i hope it starts ith YOU.
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opinionscount4nothin added 22:27 - May 5 I have read some of these posts with interest. 1. How can people slag off the managers decisions on who is on the way out after the season that we have just witnessed. Perhaps a clean sweep will do the club some good. Competition for places has to be good, too many players can under perform but know that their place in the team is guaranteed. 2. How can people slag off the managers decision on who is coming in as I don't recall reading the names of intended targets anywhere. 3. I have read about good and bad signings. I believe that Delaney and Priskin deals were agreed before RK arrived so how can he take credit/blame for them. 4. To those of you who have slagged off BFJ and GB for their signings, please bear in mind that they were working off very low budgets before you spout so much crap, AT LEAST WAIT AND SEE WHO COMES AND WHO GOES BEFORE YOU FILL THESE PAGES WITH YOUR DRIVEL!!

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Eireannach_gorm added 01:25 - May 6 Keane out, Benitez in, problem solved ( get all Liverpool rejects) ....or maybe Mancini and we can get the City rejects. Stand aside Marcus I have it sorted.
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bennyblue added 05:44 - May 6 i wish keane would be more realistic and realise hes just an amadan and will never do anything for town and go away
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BrandonsBlues added 21:48 - May 6 Jas What you have listed are a group of average players. Some no better squad players then we already had. Opinion When Delany was sh7te he was a JM signing, albeit playing in the wrong place. When he was CB he became a RK signing. There is no consistancy with some of these posts. Regardless of who signed him RK took far to long to work out his best position. The great KB sussed that out way before RK and his coaching staff did. A good judge of RK ability will now be the RB situation. If he gets a top player in good, if he does not or experiments with exising players in that position, as I suspect, then he will be gone by Xmas.

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Eireannach_gorm added 22:51 - May 6 Benny, is tusa an amadan!
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