Town are continuing to chase Preston North End defender Sean St Ledger, according to some of this morning’s tabloids. On Tuesday the Blues were reported to have been quoted a fee of £2.5 million for the Irish international.

Owner and chairman Marcus Evans showed his willingness to hand new boss Paul Jewell significant transfer cash earlier in the week when a deal understood to be well in excess of £1 million was agreed with Swindon for Charlie Austin, the striker ultimately joining Burnley after Town were unable to agree personal terms.

Evans would probably not stretch to paying as much as £2.5 million for St Ledger but at 26 the centre-half, who is rated as one of the best defenders outside the Premier League, is likely to have a future resale value.

Preston would in reality probably accept a figure somewhat lower than the one quoted earlier in the week, despite St Ledger being under contract until 2012.

Having progressed through the youth system at Peterborough, St Ledger went on loan to Stevenage Borough in 2004.

After making the breakthrough at Posh, the Birmingham-born defender joined Preston in July 2006 for a fee of £225,000.

St Ledger moved to Middlesbrough on loan at the start of last season, having impressed in his time at Deepdale. The short-term spell was expected to turn into a £4 million permanent switch but the 5ft 11in tall defender failed to settle in the North-East and returned to Preston.

Qualifying to play for Ireland via his grandfather from Carlow, St Ledger has won 16 full caps and has scored two goals.

Continuing reports that the Blues are looking to move for an experienced right-sided central defender are likely to increase speculation that Gareth McAuley’s time at Town might be close to coming to an end.

The Northern Irishman, whose current Blues contract is up in the summer, turned down Town’s initial offer of a two-year deal before Christmas, with SPL giants Rangers having been interested in signing the 31-year-old last summer but failing to match the club’s valuation.

McAuley and skipper David Norris were due to speak to new boss Paul Jewell regarding their futures towards the end of last week. The January transfer window closes at 11pm on Monday night.

Photo: Action Images

itfcboy97 added 13:07 - Jan 30 not a bad player hopefully if we get him jewell can build the lads confidence and get him playing well
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casanovacrow added 13:10 - Jan 30 St Ledger is a shadow of the player he once was, going on loan to boro and not making it permanent seemed to mess things up for him. Maybe if he moved on he'd get some form back, bit of a risk at the price though, doubt he will be on less wage than McAuley wants either. Strange one
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corshamblue added 13:29 - Jan 30 Brilliant Player and would make a big difference to the Back 4. Macca will sign if the right deal is on the table. Would rather Shaun St Ledger than be Austin Powered up front, Shaun can play RCB or RB as required. (Mind you so can Macca!) Fingers crossed this isn't just paper talk, spoke to a Preston Fan who said 'Christ, I hope that's not true!!' enough said.
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roytheboy added 13:34 - Jan 30 Can he score goals ? we went for Austin because those at the top at ITFC appreciate that a good striker is an important requirement, of course we need a proven right back too but is this just another smoke screen to pacify the supporters who are still feeling miserably disappointed once more for missing out on Austin ?
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jas0999 added 13:37 - Jan 30 Looks like a decent buy - but can only assume this is to allow McAuley to leave? Ultimately however I have little faith in Clegg getting any deal done by tomorrow night. Plus, what anyone can see is we need a right-back and more importantly a STRIKER. Looking back over the past 3 or 4 season's anyone can see where we are struggling - goals - we don't score enough. Will be very disappointed if a permanent signing isn't secured by tomorrow - and not just a Conference player. Time for Jewell to show his ability - time for Clegg to actually do a deal! Remember, when Jewell was appointed - according to Clegg it was so he could exploit the transfer window ... loans could be secured afterwards!

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tractorboybig added 13:52 - Jan 30 if we cant give contracts to keep two reasonable players that are already here, and someone from the lower league then what chance of him coming here? May be on loan, its cheaper that way you see.
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CraigForrestGateau added 13:56 - Jan 30 Don't believe me if you don't want to but I've been told Macauley is happy with two years but has been offered less than what he's already on. Not so much wage wise but bonuses, insurance, sell on clauses etc. If thats the case the club are being idiots and should just allow him to have two years on the same deal he's already on. Bloody ridiculous
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blue1986 added 14:01 - Jan 30 Great player if we can get him, remember him playing at peterborough and thought then that he is one for the future
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WickedBlue added 14:09 - Jan 30 Love all the so called experts on here.......still think I'll stick with PJ assessment. If you want him go get him...it's your team....Oh sick and tired of hearing everything is Cleggs fault when you have absolutely no evidence to base that on. We have a wage budget Austin was offered a good deal...He opted for Burnley. Either because they offered more as they still get parachute payments or the Howe factor or a combination of both....but it is done, stop blaming Clegg and get over it...it happens all the time in football when you have more than one club trying to buy a player.

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im_marcacus added 14:11 - Jan 30 Good headline
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crazyblue added 14:31 - Jan 30 Never gonna happen. Clegg wont be at Portman road today. Only when he arrives in a mid day tomorrow will he realise that the window closes at 11pm Monday night. Then he will have another excuse for failing to sign players with QUALITY. Thats right Clegg you mug, QUALITY. Our wage structure needs reviewing and sharp. Shrink the squad in the summer and Buy more QUALITY. Rely on the youngsters as back up. Its the only way to give them a chance to see what they can do. When I look at the squad, I really struggle to count players with QUALITY on one hand. I can only hope this is why the club is allowing all these contracts to run down to allow PJ to invest in players who bring that extra bit to th etable. Macca and Noris are off ski and I dont blame them. They are the only 2 worthy of a new contract. Thats my rant!!! Again!

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floridaboy added 14:57 - Jan 30 Get real children. The club is losing massively every week and not even ME will keep bailing them out. The wage structure needs to be in place otherwise eventually we will go out of business. Also we are not a BIG club anymore, we have no right to be in the premiership. We are an average mid table championship club at best. Yes we can all dream of watching the Man U of this world one day at PR but that is not going to happen for a while And will people stop keep banging on about how valuable Norris is. He is NOT!!! He has done very well financially out of this club and if he really wants to stay then sign the damn contract in front of you. If I hear that comment from him again 'I could be out of work in five months' I will scream. The man is a complete monkey. Sign up or ship out. Simple

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dirtydingusmagee added 15:01 - Jan 30 reckon it should be good on here come Tuesday morning ...all blood ,snot, and tears .
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yorksblue added 15:37 - Jan 30 Remember him on that prog with Ron Atkinson as an advisor to P'Boro, when he walked off training pitch, calling that K**bhead scouse manager a tw*t. Quality
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Dowson added 15:46 - Jan 30 good player sign him up
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bluelady added 15:49 - Jan 30 New manager in air of optimism for a week then the old women start again moan moan moan if we had not been aware of Austin bid then it would have been different instead a number are throwing their toys out of the pram and rightin us off after two league games one of which we won!!! Let's give jewell a chance and stop using clegg as scapegoat, then judge end of season......

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meekreech added 15:53 - Jan 30 Don't need him , much more need for right back and striker !We have Tommy , Damien , Troy , Darren and G Mac plus Mark for the back . Goals are what we need so get a striker !!!!
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Raedwald_625 added 16:11 - Jan 30 Why so folk moan about the moaners? This is a forum!- there's no ideological line we must all follow. Agree we should try to focus on quality - there's only so much lots of effort can achieve. It can be embarrassing seeing Norris or Leadbetter bring the out and have no idea what to do with it, whether that's against Arensal or Forest. The League table doesn't lie and PJ needs a lot of time to sort this one this out.

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h32 added 16:16 - Jan 30 What's the use of getting excited about this, not sure he's worth the effort anyway - but this would end up in another failure with Clegg in charge of negotiations. We are now a loan player Club under this regime - go on prove me wrong please. I still cannot believe that these clueless people allowed perfectly saleable players contracts to run down, and potentially become absolutely worthless - but they have done just that.

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h32 added 16:28 - Jan 30 bluelady - that's your view, as indeed we have ours. You are obviously a member of the brigade that will forever be happy as long as you can watch ITFC play football, win, lose, or draw - and go home ecstatic. Winning and success, will always be a bonus to you, and not a requirement. Well we are not - we want success to return, yes return to the Club which many of us have previously witnessed and been part of. We are called WINNERS - and not just in Football either.

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h32 added 16:35 - Jan 30 crazyblue - summed it all up quite well.
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bluelady added 16:40 - Jan 30 Meecrech think it means at least one off?
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bluelady added 16:47 - Jan 30 No.h32 you are very wrong I wanted keane out as much as anyone else, I was sick if poor defensive football and no confidence, but we have a new manager an I for one will give him the benefit of more than two games before I start the moaning. clegg isn't my fav person but I also don't agree with being played off by agents which clearly Austins situation indicates happened so I agree with clegg on that one. I do also agree poor letting contracts expire but I expect jewel to be far more on the ball and involved than keane ever was.

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bluearmy4life added 17:16 - Jan 30 Would be a really good signing for Town. Jewell is going for some good players too whcih is promising. I'm not going to get to excited I did when I thought we had Austin and Captain C*** Fcuk up Clegg cocked it up yet again. It's about time he collected his P45 Done nothing to help ITFC.
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StochesStotasBlewe added 17:22 - Jan 30 Gareth McAuley age 31. Sean St Ledger age 26. I wonder who will be the better long term prospect?
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