Blues boss Paul Jewell says Town could pursue the signings of Portsmouth pair Joel Ward and Jason Pearce before next Thursday’s loan deadline but only if they are available at the right price and the players want sensible wages. Midfielder or defender Ward and centre-half Pearce were two of the three Pompey players the Blues targeted in January.

Jewell says crisis-club Portsmouth have made the Blues aware of who they are looking to offload in order to raise cash, several players already having left Fratton Park in recent weeks: “I think they’ve been in contact with the club about players who are available. Whether we pursue that is another thing.

“It all depends on what the price is and what the players are looking for because the economic climate has changed and the wages that people think we have been paying aren’t there any more, even though expectations are always high.”

But as long as the financial side of proposed deals are within acceptable parameters, Jewell is still keen on Ward, whose January move to Portman Road broke down over personal terms, and Pearce, who was the subject of failed bids from Town and others in January, and who has more recently been linked with Southampton and West Ham.

“If things are right, we’re interested,” he confirmed. “But that goes not only for those players but other players as well. As I said, football is taking a reality check and I think players, agents and everybody in the game has got to think that if we’re not careful the game will end up bankrupt and we obviously don’t want that."

The Blues boss says that the situations at clubs like Pompey and the upcoming Financial Fair Play rules, which mean that clubs will have to work within a break-even model, will reduce players’ wages: “Football has to look at Portsmouth, has to look at Rangers, has to look at Port Vale and say ‘Look, we’d love to give you big money, but we can’t put the club at risk, it’s got to be financially viable for us’.

“I think that when we’re negotiating with players between now and next season there will be a definite thought of cutting our cloth accordingly because we don’t want anything to happen as has happened at other clubs.

“I don’t think people believe how close Portsmouth and Rangers are to going out of business. We say it but we don’t actually think it’s going to happen.

“Can you imagine if those clubs go out of business? It’s people’s lives, not just the people that work there but supporters - the club’s theirs, it belongs to them. If the club goes bust, then that club’s gone. We’ve got to make sure we realise the seriousness of the situation.”

The third January Portsmouth target, Irish U21 international Stephen Henderson, has joined West Ham on loan with a view to a permanent deal with Jewell never convinced that the goalkeeper wanted a move to Portman Road: “We got the feeling the lad was quite happy to [stay at Portsmouth]. We didn’t even get to the point of speaking to him.

“I didn’t get to speak to any of the players. I think we spoke to the agent of one of them, but I didn’t speak to any of them and there didn’t seem to be an awful lot of them pushing to come here. Maybe things happen for a reason.”

Jewell says he could look at bringing in another keeper before next Thursday with loanee Alex McCarthy’s spell from Reading up on April 11th: “I don’t know yet. We’ll see. There might be a possibility of that or we might go with Arran Lee-Barrett.

“He’s been unlucky a couple of times this season, to be fair. He’s come in and played a few matches and he’s been fine.”

Photo: Action Images

Texaco73 added 07:06 - Mar 16 Move on please. Not interested.
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Sindre94 added 07:10 - Mar 16 Yes please.
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daniel2302 added 07:18 - Mar 16 don't say you "might" sign them by next Thursday, just do it before we lose out and another club grabs the pair...
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icetruckiller added 07:21 - Mar 16 Glad the keeper has gone to West Ham. Wouldn't mind the other 2, but do they really want to be here?
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Wickets added 07:56 - Mar 16 Not too important if we sign any players or not, before deadline.On plus side it would give them time to bed in before next season,down side wages will drop before the new season starts so could be better to wait.This squad of players is good enough for mid table finish.I for one would have grabbed that with both hands a few weeks ago.Lots of coming and going during the season can be counter productive.

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itfc1981 added 08:07 - Mar 16 decisive action called for here from Simon Clegg, ah, therein lies the problem.
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itfc1981 added 08:12 - Mar 16 Pearce is a must, not fussed by Ward. For good sake dont go with ALB-alls up.
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irishtim added 08:29 - Mar 16 Getting tired of this story. Going on too long. Dont think either of them want to be at portman road imo
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Karlosfandangal added 08:34 - Mar 16 It sounds like they are not that intrested, but might be now as they wont get paid. Would prefer we went for St Ledger again as at least he wanted to play for us. Portsmouth own fault they are in this mess look how they got Norris off us by paying silly money.
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geography26 added 08:40 - Mar 16 Pearce and Guzan please!!
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beerhelps added 09:01 - Mar 16 Another loan keeper....Has Wrighty been caught sleeping with PJ's wife? Give Plug a run of games, we're not going up or down and at least we all know he wants to play for us. With the confidence of a few games I believe he could be not only the answer, but a quality player for a few years yet. Think back 10 years, 80/90% of that Wrighty would be a decent Championship keeper. What do we have to lose?

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osborne1nil added 09:36 - Mar 16 Agree beerhelps, we are already paying Wright and IMO still better then ALB. A run of games would then make an easy decision on letting him leave at end of season or keeping him as reserve if they haven't replaced with better. Has only played 1 possibly 2 games since resigned and would rather see a Town player in goal rather than loanee from Reading, who will clearly want to be with them next season when they get promoted.

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Guthrum added 10:01 - Mar 16 beerhelps - and therein lies the problem. 10-12 years ago, Wright was a top-notch 'keeper. Two years ago, he was not that much better than ALB is now. He's played one game in this, his third stint with Town, during which he let in three goals. Just because he's an old Ipswich player, doesn't make him a good Ipswich player. Looks like he wants to be off to the MLS anyway and TBH he was only hired as injury cover (plus, perhaps, to pass on some of his experience).

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DanLyles added 10:29 - Mar 16 Pearce, Ward, Guzan and somebody in the mould of Hudson at Cardiff please PJ
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Paddy39 added 10:31 - Mar 16 WE will I'm sure be targeting younger players now, but I'm glad we're going to be paying sensible wages and the players will see if we get to the Premiership then that will be a pay rise for them which I'm sure will be written into their contracts. In my opinion there is still a lot of quality around who will take what we offer. Glad also to see the FAT CAT agents who manage these players will have to take a cut as well I expect.

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Wickets added 11:00 - Mar 16 Yer RW is the best goalie at the club,we should try to keep him,play him for the rest of this season with a view to being our second choice next.ITs a no brainer.
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Tractamatt added 12:36 - Mar 16 Not bothered by the keeper as I'd rather have Scott Loach here any day. As for the other 2 only sign them if they want to play also I have question the fact that in january they both loved Portsmouth, now Portsmouth look like going down they might consider the move. Now am I being sinical or are they just mercenary.
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StowTractorBoy added 17:56 - Mar 16 Glad PJ is thinking about the goalkeeping scenario with McCarthy going back to Reading. Anyone bar ALB please including Richard Wright. I once wanted Loach but he has tailed off badly this season hence Watford bringing in a replacement keeper and Loach has not played since.
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