TWTD understands that released former Blues defender Ibrahima Sonko has turned down a lucrative seven-figure offer to spend a season with a club in China.

The 31-year-old centre-half, who was in the US looking for a new side earlier in the summer, was recently back training with Town and is understood to be interesting a couple of unnamed Football League sides.

Last month, midfielder Jimmy Bullard was reported to be interesting a couple of Chinese clubs.

Meanwhile, former Blues skipper David Norris is believed to be close to joining Sheffield Wednesday from Portsmouth. Leeds have also been linked.

Elsewhere, ex-Town winger Luciano Civelli, 25, is reportedly set to join Universidad de Chile from Libertad, the Paraguayan club he joined after settling his contract with the Blues last July, for a fee of £1.2 million.

The Argentinian, whose Town career was devastated by a serious knee injury which kept him out of action for 23 months, impressed as the Chilean champions beat his current club on penalties in the quarter-finals of the Copa Libertadores, the match ending 1-1.

Photo: Action Images

hampstead_blue added 23:10 - Jul 11 Do we get anything for Luca? Also, why would Sonko turn down a £7 figure deal for 1 year! It must be a very speculative story indeed.
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Sindre94 added 23:25 - Jul 11 Always rated Luca... think keane ruined him with his comments on his "Mental weakness". Good on ya sonks, shows he cares about football not money
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sudburyblue16 added 23:30 - Jul 11 Turned down a 7 figure offer?! Has the man gone mad?
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KiwiBlue2 added 23:50 - Jul 11 Luca was extremely unlucky to encounter Keane while battling back from that horrific injury. A positive mental approach is vitally important and Keane's appraoch wont have helped even if he was joking......
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KiwiBlue2 added 23:59 - Jul 11 Perhaps he has a quiet eye on the back up role to Luke. I would be happy with that and prefer to see money spent on gk and a new muscular striker to complement what we have. Also happy to see Wrighty as one of three gks for us.
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delias_cheesy_flaps added 04:56 - Jul 12 What a moron....I've lived in China and it's a bloody great place to live plus it's stacked full of beautiful women :)
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Len_Brennan added 05:37 - Jul 12 Agree about Luca; looked like he was going to be a very good player for us pre-injury. It must have been very difficult for such a young guy so far from home going through such a long recovery & then having to deal with an unsympathetic Keane who had no interest in him or the money ME had paid for him. He always appeared to conduct himself with respect to be fair & had good things to say about the club. It's good to see things working out for him but it makes me wonder what might have been.

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irishtim added 07:50 - Jul 12 Sonks as back up??
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taylor15 added 08:12 - Jul 12 just proves that money isn't always the key for football. well done sonko!
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Warkys_Tash added 08:25 - Jul 12 Luca, our 2nd most expensive flop (transfer fee divided by mins).. Anyone care to guess who is the first?
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dundeebloo added 08:49 - Jul 12 Our most expensive flop would be Lulu Le Pen what was one appearance
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dundeebloo added 09:02 - Jul 12 Our most expensive flop would be Lulu Le Pen what was one appearance
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JewellintheTown added 09:18 - Jul 12 @MintyHalfKn*b - Chink? Very sad bit of outdated racism there. Should be banned for that.
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saffronblue added 09:44 - Jul 12 Shame, I always thought Luca looked good the couple of times I saw him, just when we could do with a creative left midfielder. Happy if we retained Sonks on a small retainer with a pay per game deal, think he could do a job for us and would add some experience in the dressing room.
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olimar added 10:20 - Jul 12 What nonsense. Civelli had a lot of game time under Jewell and didnt show anything at all to suggest it was worthwhile holding on to him. If Civelli had problems with Keane, then Jewell represented a fresh start and opportunities to prove himself under someone different. If the impact of one manager was so detrimental that it made it impossible for him to perform under any other manager in the future, then that surely demonstrates that Keane was right. All Keane was doing was answering a question on when people could expect him to have recovered from his injury. Keane said that he had physically recovered, but mentally wasnt ready.

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Sebastian added 11:14 - Jul 12 I still can't figure out why PJ doesnt keep Sonko. Ok, he is injury prone and coming of age. But remember the games last season when his presence seemed to lift the whole team.
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irishtim added 11:20 - Jul 12 Sonks only 31. If he stayed fit could turn out to be important to us if injuries strike, rather than getting someone on loan whose interests lie elsewhere.
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Langdon_Blue added 11:25 - Jul 12 irishtim - I agree, I'd be happy if we gave him a 1 year contract, as cover...
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jas0999 added 11:49 - Jul 12 The problem with Luca was he wanted to return to his homeland - he spent a lot of time there recovering from his injury. It was best for both parties that he moved on. re Sonko - I wouldn't re-sign him. It would be a backwards step. Plenty more, younger - better options out there.
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irishtim added 12:31 - Jul 12 jas0999. 31 not quite old mate. Still reckon he would do a job if needed. Just my opinion.
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jclark20 added 13:17 - Jul 12 @Warkys_Tash Le Pen?
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MathieandMarshall added 14:19 - Jul 12 I'd sign Sonks for a year. We don't exactly have central defenders queuing out the door and he has plenty of experience to help the younger lads. Have no problem him filling in for the odd game as cover if Chambers/Smith have a knock. Has a good attitude and could set a good example to others and be a positive influence around the place. As long as the money is right I course!

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PJ_Needs_Duncan added 16:07 - Jul 12 Are you kidding me a 7 figure sum for one year? That is pure madness, I think I'd play football on Mars for that amount
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ITFCforlife added 16:49 - Jul 12 i think he might by waiting for an offer from us
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fifeblue added 17:32 - Jul 12 "... and is understood to be interesting a couple of unnamed Football League sides." I didn't know there WERE any unnamed clubs in the Football League.
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