Town boss Paul Jewell says he is hopeful of completing the signing of Leicester central defender Sean St Ledger today. The deal is likely to be on the basis of an initial loan with a view to a permanent deal in the summer.

Jewell says that long-time target St Ledger was hesitating over the move last night having agreed personal terms before receiving reassurance from Blues owner Marcus Evans: “We tried to get him in the summer when Leicester were blowing everyone out of the water.

“Everything’s agreed between the two clubs. I spoke to his agent when I was on the way to Arsenal last night and he said ‘Everything’s fine, but the only thing is, and I don’t want to be funny, he’s just concerned that you’re going to lose your job’.

“When I was on the phone to him, Marcus was also ringing me. I said that Marcus has only ever given me positive pointers and when I’d put the phone down, I took Marcus’s call, told him about the conversation and Marcus said he’d ring him up and put him right, and Marcus put him right.

“I spoke to Sean St Ledger after that and he said ‘I hope you don’t think I was being rude, I went to Middlesbrough and the manager lost his job, went to Leicester and the same thing happened’. I said ‘You know what Sean, maybe I shouldn’t be thinking about signing you!”

He says the Blues are now expecting a call confirming that the Ireland international wants to join, although they are aware that there are other clubs also interested: “We’re just waiting him on getting back to us, he’s got one or two other irons in the fire, but hopefully we’ll get a positive answer from him today, if not we move on. But hopefully we’ll get something done there.”

Jewell says it’s unlikely the deal will be done in time for the 27-year-old to play at Birmingham tomorrow: “We’d like to but I think there’s a 12 o’clock deadline today, so we’re not sure.”

Photo: Action Images

Photo: Action Images

Blueboy added 11:29 - Jan 10 Good old Jewellie, he loves a loan!
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northstand78 added 11:31 - Jan 10 PJ should work in banking the amount of loans he gets... Good signing, now just a RB,
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Stadiumofdark added 11:31 - Jan 10 Good news St Leger on his way Bad news... PJ staying.... Unless ME told St Leger that a better manager is coming!! (not Sven!)
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TheRef added 11:31 - Jan 10 cant we just sign him, he will have a good run, play well then be snapped up by someone else, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
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Southamptonblue added 11:33 - Jan 10 If you were St Ledger, would you permanently sign for a club that may be in League One next year?
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Wicksy added 11:33 - Jan 10 Jewell says it's unlikely the deal will be done in time for the 27-year-old to play at Birmingham tomorrow: “We'd like to but I think there's a 12 o'clock deadline today, so we're not sure.” Not sure? Well bloody well find out then
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buryblue77 added 11:34 - Jan 10 Good player, glad he's here to bolster our dodgy defence. But yet another loan, do these people running the club not learn anything? Our budgie friends a few years back had a team of loanees and look what happened to them, relegation. Yes they bounced straight back but we could become the next Sheff Wed, Forest, Leeds etc.....and take ages to come back if we do go down.

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MrCool added 11:36 - Jan 10 Can't see many (good) players wanting to sign a permanent deal with us, given our current position. Loans are porbably the best we can get at the moment.
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RIPbobby added 11:41 - Jan 10 How did St. Ledger know it was Marcus Evans when he reassured him the Jewell wont lose his job, I might have been the cleaner any other random bloke. This does sound like he wants to come though. Not sure on him.
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ThatMuhrenCross added 11:42 - Jan 10 When St Ledger signs for clubs, the managers get sacked? Well that's not the worst thing that could happen to this club, is it!? Sign him up!!! Just kidding, unless we have Warnock lined up, I would rather see Jewell keep his job.
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jonwillpott added 11:42 - Jan 10 This is the sorry state our club has let themselves be dragged into.....PJ said last week that he wanted permanent signings not loans to build for the future. The reality is that he cannot perusade ANYONE to come here on a permanent deal because of our dire position in the league and his own frail status as manager. Can you blame these players???
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chripswich added 11:43 - Jan 10 if i was Evans I would go batsh!te at jewell revealing private dealings and convo's...a very clever double wammy from media man jewell..a) st ledger will only come if i am here...b) evans has backed me I just hope it backfires on him..and Evans kicks his sorry ar$e out!
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SheffieldBlue1 added 11:44 - Jan 10 He'll be joining Burnley within the hour.
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itfcdan94 added 11:46 - Jan 10 Watta signing we needed a decent defender now we have got him know for a right back come on town.
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AndyStannard added 11:50 - Jan 10 Another loan? how many players will we actually have in the summer when they've all gone??
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irishtim added 11:54 - Jan 10 Good news on st ledger always plays well for ireland cant understand the loan part again wats pj talking about last week? Bad news looks like we r stuck with pj no matter what happens. If i made so many cock ups in my job id never work again.
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bluepeter added 11:54 - Jan 10 RIPbobby, I am not a random bloke first of all and I had been practising the voice all week before I rang!
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wiggy71 added 11:58 - Jan 10 even Professionals in the game think your going to get the sack. i think this loan says your getting the sack as it looks like m.e. won't give you money for Permanent signing.
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bluepeter added 12:01 - Jan 10 unless, of course you work at the fertility clinic Irishtim!
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bobble added 12:02 - Jan 10 european cup here we come
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Surco72 added 12:07 - Jan 10 Good signing till the end of season when all can review our position ,if we turn our form around and have a better end of season players will want to stay and join ,if we continue the way we are Jewell will be gone and we dont want players with big money contracts in lower leagues and have to shift them on anyway
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icetruckiller added 12:20 - Jan 10 Hopefully the past dictates wherever St.Ledger goes, management gets the sack shortly after.
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saffronblue added 12:21 - Jan 10 If we get him on loan hopefully we have agreed a fee for a permament signing with a first option clause and no recall.
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meekreech added 12:21 - Jan 10 What new player would sign with the negativity on here ! Any news regarding Andrews to go with St. Ledger ?
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AFCC added 12:25 - Jan 10 you'll find that a loan until the end of the season with a view to a permanent deal will be the norm for most championship clubs in this window. It means that we have first refusal and a fee would have already been agreed, does well, gets signed, perfect! Get a Right Back, Jewell stays and we finish strong. Lest we forget that this club has been in a mess for years and this was a rebuilding process. We get a couple of big names in and you lot think that we will be world beaters. SUPPORT your club.

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