This morning’s Scottish tabloids continue to link the Blues with a £250,000 move for Celtic defender Kelvin Wilson, while elsewhere Town are claimed to be looking to offload midfielder Jimmy Bullard in order to reduce their wage bill with Derby striker Steve Davies remaining a target.

Yesterday, assistant manager Chris Hutchings wouldn’t be drawn on the Blues’ interest in former Nottingham Forest centre-half Wilson, however, we understand he is a player that Paul Jewell admires and would like to bring to Portman Road as he looks to add solidity and strength in depth to his defence.

Wilson, along with former Town loanee Daryl Murphy, was a second half sub in Celtic’s 1-0 victory over Aberdeen on the opening day of the SPL season yesterday.

Bullard, who was left out of the squad which faced West Ham, is likely to be at the very top of Town’s wage bill with the 33-year-old almost certainly earning somewhere north of £15,000 a week.

The former Peterborough, Wigan, Fulham and Hull man has been a bit part player throughout pre-season, last week travelling with the reserves squad to Braintree rather than with the first team party which took on Cambridge United the following day.

Earlier in the summer, Bullard, who has a year left on his Town contract, was claimed to be interesting two clubs in China.

Davies has been a Blues target all summer but with Town and Derby unable to agree a fee with the Rams after £1 million for the 24-year-old, who Paul Jewell took to Pride Park from Tranmere during his spell as manager of the Midlanders.

Meanwhile, Blackburn are reported to be ready to make a “take it or leave it” £6 million - a £4 million initial fee plus £2 million on promotion - bid to Huddersfield for ex-Blues frontman Jordan Rhodes, who is also interesting Fulham.

Town are entitled to 10% of the profit the Terriers make on the 22-year-old with the fee the Blues received for his 2009 transfer understood to have reached around £850,000 with all the top-up clauses now having been met.

Photo: Action Images

Photo: Action Images

Bluetone added 10:42 - Aug 5 Bullard, who was left out of the squad which faced West Ham, is likely to be at the very top of Town's wage bill with the 33-year-old almost certainly earning somewhere north of £15,000 a week. I dispute the word earning sure he is getting but that's not earning is it?
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ericgates added 10:50 - Aug 5 I could see us maybe getting Wilson in on a seasons loan, therefore freeing the money we would have spent on him, on upping our offer for Davies a little bit.
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Mark added 10:51 - Aug 5 Who would have thought Bullard could have been such a flop after his fabulous appearances for us on loan. We all wanted him and Jewell knew him from the past, so everything seemed right about him coming here (indeed some fans wanted us to pay Hull a £2M transfer fee to get him I seem to recall!). I had hoped Jimmy would come good, but the signs are all bad at the moment. At to whether anyone would take him off us, I somehow doubt it. It's fair enough if we won't pay over the odds for Davies, but then we need a Plan B as we must get some height in the attack. Nearly £850K for Rhodes, cheers Roy! Of all Keane's mismanagement, the sale of Jordan has to be the darkest moment of all. Some things, like the sacking of Klug, we have been able to rectify but Rhodes will rub our noses in it for the next 10 to 15 years I expect, probably including scoring at Portman Road this season. Each time he scores, think of Roy.

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comrade_blue added 10:54 - Aug 5 Don't get to excited about Wilson and Murphy - neither played in Europe in midweek and only came on for Celtic Saturday as Lennon rested players for second leg in Finland this week, bot struggle to make the Celtic bench
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bluedart added 10:56 - Aug 5 Yes would be very happy if all of the above happened!! Loved Bullard when on loan and wanted to sign but since has not put in one good days work. Must be very tense in dressing room knowing that the person putting in the least effort earns twice as much as anyone else. Don't think there is any big earners left!!! COYB have a great season some of us fans supporting through rough and good times need a lift. And you others who slag ITFC players have a good look at yourself our players need OUR support, now we have a lot of youngsters mistakes are going to be made!!!!

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Eireannach_gorm added 11:04 - Aug 5 I would have thought that the way to get the best out of Jimmy would be to actually have him in the team and on the pitch.
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PauloJulio added 11:06 - Aug 5 Poor tabloid journalism as usual
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the_toff added 11:11 - Aug 5 Does anyone know the source of these rumours?
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trumanswampy added 11:18 - Aug 5 They have come from - 6 quiet news day street Bulls&@t town Made up shire Cr1 2ap
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WKDBLU added 11:26 - Aug 5 keep saying bullard was left out for cambridge but he was not as he was warming up on the line so was with the squad
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irishtim added 11:28 - Aug 5 Makes sense to offload jimmy & free up funds to bring in davies plus one or two others. In fairness jimmy has been a let down really.
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Len_Brennan added 11:40 - Aug 5 I had hoped Bullard would have gotten his act together over the summer & repay the club for his antics last season. We have a very young & inexperienced midfield now so we do actually need somebody of his ilk, if not his previous attitude, in there for when we have to dig in. I know Stevenson & Drury are around 28, but neither have played too many games at Championship level in England. He seemed to be fit & playing well, dictating play, in the reports I have read of him in pre-season. Funnily enough I still think he can one of the best players in the league this season, if he wants it. If not then the club are 100% right in getting rid of him asap.

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dirtydingusmagee added 11:40 - Aug 5 NOT Kevin bloody Wilson i hope .f#'#/ kinell
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Wickets added 11:56 - Aug 5 No Mark i didnt want Bullard, just knew he would do the same to us as he did to Hull!! and to say we should play him,Eireannach, you have to earn the right to play during training, Bullard does not. If you do play someone who just aint bothered,just think the message that sends to the others players how would the youngsters react to that? Happy to see the back of Bullard but he is the type to sit and collect his unearned cash for the rest of the season.

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oscarwhiting added 11:57 - Aug 5 lets face it we wont get him it hasent come from an official source!
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bluearmy4life added 12:00 - Aug 5 To have Davies as well as Wilson would be two good new additions. I think most of us wanted Bullard and to date it's not really worked out. He was brilliant during his loan spell with us. If the rumours are true with a possible exit for bullard we are going to be far to lightweight in the middle which is a massive concern. I hope we keep Bullard and sign Davies and Wilson. I'm sure Bullard can be great for us this season, but if town do release him it makes Paul Jewell's future look less bright obviously depending on results. Here is a list of the players we released that we signed last summer. Inigarsson, Bowyer, Wright, Sonko, there maybe more but that's worrying of a manager of PJ experience. Don't get me wrong it was the right decison to release them but who brought them in?

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Suff0lk_N_G00d added 12:04 - Aug 5 Really not keen on the signing of Davies. We have spent peanuts all summer and made some good signings. £1 million is way too much for a player who spends more than half his time in the physio room. I agree his goals to game ratio is good, but if he is sat, recieving treatment for a 3 year contract then what use will he be, also likely to be on a hefty wage. I agree we need one more striker, and would prefer a target man but after watching Town yesterday against West Ham, Martin and Chopra linked up so well, I dont think you can justify dropping anyone from the starting line up. I do think that Wilson would be a good signing though. I do not know too much about him, but I have heard he is a pacey CB and has experience playing along side Luke Chambers and would provide competition and cover in the starting line up for central defence.

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PYBlue added 12:18 - Aug 5 Wilson we have no chance at all of getting. Bullard will Just sit out the year. Davies will not sign as we all know.
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Garv added 12:19 - Aug 5 Forget Davies and bring Daryl Murphy in who Celtic will allow to leave on the cheap and is someone we know is keen to play for Town. I'm fed up of this whole situation. Move on. Murphy will cover two positions, he'll solve our left wing problem, and can play up front in a 4-4-2 whenever is necessary. Wilson sounds like a good fit, although I can't say I know anything about him really. Wouldn't want us to let Bullard go, I want us to play him. But if it freed up cash to buy a decent striker and a centre back then you've got to do it. Are we likely to get a fee though?

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village_blue added 12:28 - Aug 5 I would be more than happy to do a straight swap move between Bullard and Murphy. In fact I'm tempted to say I would drive Bullard up to Scotland.
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PhilTWTD added 13:35 - Aug 5 WKDBLU Think that was Gunnar Thorsteinsson who has similar hair!
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manualthetisfanclub added 13:45 - Aug 5 Next,move on to next rubbish unrealistic link!!!
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BigAlsMate added 13:52 - Aug 5 This is all getting so boring! Links, links, links ... which unless you are a golfer or into bondage mean nothing real in football. And anyway, can't see us offering anything like enough to secure these two. Even if Bullard is sold there is no guarantee that PJ will be allowed to use anything other than the very minimum of the wages saved from him to secure the services of anyone else. After all, where has the Wickham millions gone? Face it, we are a selling club now ... with incomings only being of the bargain basement variety in terms of fee or salary. Here's to another season of mediocrity.

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Edmunds5 added 14:17 - Aug 5 I agree with Garv, it's time we got in a player who wants to come here and not keep persisting on a certain player, Scott Loach is a big Town fan and was like a kid at Christmas when he joined. As for Bullard I think It would be the right desicion too let him go. I actually still think he could do well for us but I just think he doesn't have the hunger inside him like a few other lads such as Hyam does. I think if Jimmy has a bad game I'm not sure he will think much of it, not because he doesn't care, i just think he is such a laid back character that it's difficult to motivate himself.

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fussysnake added 14:22 - Aug 5 Why is Bullard so lazy? He always seems such a nice guy and after his amazing loan spell i was so happy he had joint permantly and everyone expected big things. Unfortunatly hes robbed us. Shame really. Last season I had Bullard printed on the back of my home shirt. Waste.
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