Brighton and Hove Albion have been linked with a summer move for Blues midfielder Grant Leadbitter. The 26-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season with Middlesbrough understood to be strong favourites for his signature.

Blues boss Paul Jewell said last week that he is keen to keep the former Sunderland man at Portman Road: “I spoke to Grant on Thursday. It was a football conversation really. Obviously we want to keep him and I just wanted to see what he was thinking.

“We had a long conversation and he told me that he’s keen to stay. So, we’ve just got to try and sort out the financial side of it, which is up to Marcus and Grant’s agent.”

A return to his native North-East is believed to appeal to the former England U21 international, who joined the Blues for £2.65 million from Sunderland in the summer of 2009.

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