Boss Roy Keane says Jon Stead’s move to Bristol City is set to be confirmed today and that the Blues also expect to sign a new striker, Wigan’s Jason Scotland. Town and the Robins have set a £225,000 fee for Stead, who agreed a three-year deal at Ashton Gate last week.

Keane said: “I think that’s going to be done today. Steady’s gone down there and we’ve agreed a deal. I spoke to him yesterday and he’s agreed personal terms, so that looks like it’s done and dusted.”

“He goes with our best wishes because he’s done well for us in recent weeks when we’ve had a lot of injuries and one or two other strikers leaving the club. We wish him well, we’re disappointed to lose him, but that’s the situation we face at the moment.”

The Blues boss says he is hopeful that there could be a replacement, Wigan’s Jason Scotland, arriving this afternoon: “We hope to get one in today. We’ve given the thumbs up for Steady to go to Bristol, so I’m pretty sure that that deal will be done and dusted later today, otherwise we’d have held on to Steady.

“That’ll be three strikers out and one in, but we hope to maybe get one or two in over the next few weeks, probably loan deals and we’ll just go with what we’ve got.

“The international week gives us a couple of weeks to try and get some of our injured boys back. The way we were doing on Saturday we’re getting away with it, but over the course of the season any more injuries and we’ll be in trouble, but fingers crossed, so far the players are doing well.”

Town and the Latics recently agreed a £750,000 deal for Scotland but the move was put on hold while Wigan looked for a replacement for the 31-year-old Trinidad and Tobago international.

The Blues manager dismissed weekend reports claiming he was about to make a £4 million last move for Cardiff's Michael Chopra.

Keane says that Darren O’Dea will be OK to face Crewe on Tuesday, but is yet to decide whether Grant Leadbitter will be involved having returned more quickly than expected from his ankle injury.

Photo: Action Images

marchy added 09:41 - Aug 23 Sigh.
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Seasonticketsteve added 09:42 - Aug 23 One permanant signing this week-if that is all I will be very dissapointed, as much as we have had a good start we need re-inforcements ASAP and can not rely on the youngsters all season. FFS Clegg/Evans pull your finger out and back Keane!
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fugs added 09:44 - Aug 23 BRAVE STUFF given the good start.
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jjoe_underwood1 added 09:45 - Aug 23 Totally agree Seasonticketsteve. Where has the money for Walters gone?
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bleedblue added 09:52 - Aug 23 Scotland, Chopra and a gamble (someone from lower leagues??) would be nice. Wickham coming back for us next month will be a god send!
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suffolksam added 09:53 - Aug 23 is scotland the dude to score a few ?
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blueasfook added 09:57 - Aug 23 Former top scorer in league one with Swansea. 45 goals in 90 apps. Not too shabby.
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we8naarwich added 09:57 - Aug 23 Lets hope Scotland finds the scoring touch that he had whilst at Swansea - if he does this is a good move. It's a gamble, that's for sure! Good luck Steady - can't fault your work rate. Suprised they are shipping you out to a rival to be honest!
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Farmer_Giles added 09:57 - Aug 23 Oh dear, if this is a permanent deal then Stead will be allowed to play on Saturday. I know who I will be putting my money on to score on Saturday !!!
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ramseyn added 09:58 - Aug 23 Thanks for that Mr Clegg and Mr Evans. Wonderful support.
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ozzydog added 09:58 - Aug 23 Our transfer policy seems very confused. Beano obvously has not got a clue what is going on which is wrong and not his fault Evans and Clegg really should be communicating with the manager much better then they seem to at present.
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Seasonticketsteve added 09:59 - Aug 23 Its going to be Scotland signing this afternoon i am 99% sure, will be sad to see Stead go & I certainly hope he isnt eligible to play against us this Saturday as that might come back to bite us in the bum. Does Keane have any more transfer funds to spend after this? I mean having spent £1.5 million on fulop and Scotland (potentially) & an extra £75k on Kennedy-is it possible that the pot is empty now? Hence why we might be after loans rather then permanant signings.

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meekreech added 10:02 - Aug 23 We will believe it when it happens ! It is sheer madness to run the playing staff down to this level without serious consequences . To not be recruiting seriously at this time ( and not loans but permanent signings ) is showing a lack of ambition .
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Frase1987 added 10:02 - Aug 23 glad we didnt bid 4M.
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WorcesterBlue added 10:06 - Aug 23 First ever post on the site and I am almost speechless! I don't particularly rate Keane and think he was signed for business profile reasons not footballing ones but even I am now feeling sympathy for him. The Stead sale has always been madness as he is good performer and an excellent role model for Wickham who has lots of development to do before we can rely on him week on week. Also madness is the relentless pursuit of an average striker for a massively inflated price (Chopra) when there are cheaper and possibly better options out there. Worst of all is employing people with no knowledge of the business as CX which results in poor decisions, missed opportunities and no signings!! I have the strong feeling that Keane is engineering his exit and being left with Mr Clegg to hold the reins fills me with dread. On a happier note - great start to the season lads!

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dubblue added 10:06 - Aug 23 I assume the club is reasonably confident that Scotland will be on board shortly. Still it is a bit of a risk and while Scotland has past form at 31 he aint getting any younger. You would have thought that our current form would make us a more attractive option to players on the move.
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ramseyn added 10:07 - Aug 23 No way is the pot empty as seasonticketsteve suggests. I believe we are offsetting evans' losses from other areas of his empire. Not happy.
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danny1981 added 10:08 - Aug 23 Rather the 4 million went on Whittingham. Think between Scotland, Priskin and Wickham up top, and with Townsend from the left we are in good shape, but Whittingham would fit in lovely on the other flank, give us a nice attacking balance, and hopefully a touch more creativity
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smart4 added 10:08 - Aug 23 “He goes with our best wishes because he's done well for us in recent weeks ...we're disappointed to lose him, but that's the situation we face at the moment.” So if he's done well for us in recent weeks and we're disappointed, why is he going? We don't exactly have a glut of strikers do we? Makes me wonder what 'the situation we face' is!
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legoman added 10:08 - Aug 23 There's only one old comic around here ozzydog.
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Lightningboy added 10:08 - Aug 23 Don't understand this deal at all...Stead's in the starting line up on saturday (ahead of Priskin),he's playing well and we're offloading him for pittance?!...could understand it if we were getting £1 or £2 million but makes no sense to let him go - unless he's on massive wages I guess.
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hollywoodginge added 10:11 - Aug 23 just seen on skysports news tht keane hopes to sign a striker this afternoon, im thinking perhaps its not scotland as brian swanson said keane was secretive about the identity of the striker, yet he has gone public before about scotland, i may be reading into this wrong but we will hopefully see soon
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Seasonticketsteve added 10:13 - Aug 23 Scotland has been spotted at Portman Road by the media
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brian_a_mul added 10:13 - Aug 23 Stead is on large wages and with only a year left on his contract he was always going to be sold. Come Jan he would have been free to talk to any clubs which always distracts players at their current clubs. £225000 is not bad considering his contract situation. Scotland will be raring to go after limited action recently. At 31 he is at the peak of his powers and will be a formidabble striker against any championship defense. He has pace/power and a good finisher. The Championships answer to Drogba. Also a good player for Wickham to learn from (which is something Keano will have spotted). Good business from the Board

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boltzak added 10:15 - Aug 23 Lets hope the Stead deal falls though and me get Jason Scotland.
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