Town boss Mick McCarthy has confirmed that Leicester City have made a bid for Blues striker David McGoldrick, but says owner Marcus Evans isn’t keen to do the deal.

“Yes, they have bid,” he confirmed after the Blues’ 1-1 draw at Derby, which McGoldrick missed due to what McCarthy says was a genuine injury.

“He did actually have a dead leg, whether anybody believes me or not. Had it been the cup final at Wembley I think we probably we would have nursed him through that one. But I’m of a mind that you need everybody 100 per cent, physically and mentally.”

He says the decision will be owner Evans’s and not his: “If one does go, that won’t be down to me that will be down to what Leicester are bidding and what Marcus decides is the right [price].

“Let me tell you, Marcus doesn’t want it to happen, but sometimes… it’s not unstoppable because Marcus, if he wanted to stop it then he could, that’s for sure.

“But then I’m always of a mind that you need players of 100 per cent playing with you all the time and, I have to be honest, I think if David had been playing today and got injured and there was then no chance of it happening, it would have been nice for us because we would have been keeping him. But if it was going to happen, he’d never forgive himself, and neither would I.”

Asked whether the potential move had turned McGoldrick’s head, he added: “Of course it has! A Premier League club comes in for you, it’s near your home, you can go back and live in your own house, there’ll be more money. It would distract me as well.

“I’m not worried about that, of course it does, there’s no point in saying it hasn’t. But he did have a knock, he got knocked on Thursday.

“But, as I say if it was a matter of him walking out at Wembley on cup final day I’m sure we would have nursed him.”

He admits McGoldrick’s exit on top of Aaron Cresswell having moved on would be a big blow: “It would be a right kick in the bollocks, but I’ll let the market forces and Marcus deal with all that and [whether] Leicester want to keep pushing and see what they do.”

Earlier in the summer Ross McCormack moved from Leeds to Fulham for £11 million and Leonardo Ulloa joined Leicester from Brighton for £8 million, the same as the reported fee offered for McGoldrick.

McCarthy believes McGoldrick is the best of the three: “Let me tell you, I think he’s better than all of them, I do.

“All right, he didn’t get 28 goals [unlike McCormack] , he got 16 but he missed more than two months of the season. He was outstanding for us.

“If that’s the market, that’s the market and I think people have to pay accordingly or it doesn’t happen.”

If the deal was done would he look to replace the 26-year-old? “I’m cool with what I’ve got there today.

“Big Frank came on, people might say ‘why did he play instead of Balint’, well because he came on wide right and he can do that job, that’s why that happened.”

Like Evans, McCarthy doesn’t want McGoldrick to move on, but says he is aware of the way things work in football.

“He doesn’t want to do it and neither do I. I don’t want to lose him physically, but I’d hate to lose him emotionally for a long time.

“I have to be honest and if it was me in that position, I’d be putting my boots on every Saturday with a whole load of resentment and a whole load of CBA - Can’t Be Arsed - for a little bit of a while.

“That’s not what I want, although I know Didz has got huge respect for me and the club, and I have for him. But it can materialise that.”

He says he's not had the type of conversation with McGoldrick where has indicated that he wants to go: “I haven’t had that discussion with him. He knows [the offer]’s there. If it turns out being the right thing as it was with Cressy, then maybe it has to happen.”

The Town boss says he’s unsure whether the deal will go through as things stand: “I don’t know, Marcus doesn’t want him to go.”

He added: “I give pragmatic and honest reasons. I could sit here and waffle and give you a load of bollocks and sit here and tell you whatever I want to lie about. I’m not going to do that.

“I know the way football works, so you can all write whatever you like about what I’ve said, I’m finished on that, but you know the scenario.

“Big boys come and throw a big cheque at it and sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t.”

Photo: Action Images

ian_marshall added 18:32 - Aug 30 Micks pulling my leg
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Tractamatt added 18:34 - Aug 30 It's doing my head in!!
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kidsurello added 18:36 - Aug 30 Said it before, say it again, have to reinvest a lot of the money, and Jamie Vardy seems a perfect option to replace him as a striker, really intelligent, and good control and a good finisher
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bluemikey100 added 18:37 - Aug 30 sell them nouble instead and get dave nugent as part of deal he scored 20 goals and 12 assists last season
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BigAlsMate added 18:38 - Aug 30 Telling that he has said he is cool with what he had out at Derby today. Guess that means what most of us fear .... If McGoldrick goes, none of the money is going to be re-invested in the squad! Getting really pi**ed of with this state of affairs!
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bedsitfc added 18:40 - Aug 30 We proved today it wouldn't be the end of the world if he left but I would be a little pi $$ed if we didn't use the money or at least 50% of it on replacement and midfielder
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rayman_10 added 18:41 - Aug 30 The most worrying for me is, the way Mick says he won't need a replacement. I couldn't disagree more. We need that creativity in the final third. I'm a huge Mick supporter and I'm hoping he's keeping his cards close to his chest and is lining something up if McGoldrick does go. But if we sell him and don't get anyone to replace him, I will be worried.
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tallguy6767 added 18:43 - Aug 30 If the deal was done would he look to replace the 26-year-old? “I'm cool with what I've got there today. what a worrying statement that is!
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Whitecaps_Fan added 18:43 - Aug 30 Hmmmmm, not sure what the truth is here.
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Leather24 added 18:47 - Aug 30 The most worrying thing about this is him saying he's saying he's cool with what he's got if mcgoldrick goes! It's embarrassing that our top scorer this season may be a defender!
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Michael11 added 18:47 - Aug 30 I love McGoldrick but he's never worth £8m in a million years. I'd snap their hands off for that. Saying that, it'd better be up front payment rather than all this add on rubbish and Evans had better give McCarthy the lot. Otherwise I see us being relegation candidates if we don't replace him.
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pennblue added 18:48 - Aug 30 I think we have to let him go, but make sure we get a decent price for him. Invest more funds into academy to make sure we get cat one next year and go and pick up two or three promising youngsters
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Sindre94 added 18:50 - Aug 30 I hope we sell him for £8m.. We can then go and buy Tom Pope for half a million. Much better value for money, and also buy a creative midfielder (or is Bishop/Bru the answer to that??)
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jas0999 added 18:51 - Aug 30 Personally I think he will go. Evans will want to cash in on an asset IF the price is right, whilst the move is clearly attractive to McGoldrick. The big worry for me in Micks interview is he's cool with what he had at Derby today. Yes, a draw was a decent result, but overall we have just 5 points from 5 games this season and still lack quality and goals in the midfield and up front. No disrespect to Murphy, he works hard, but again he doesn't score regularly enough for me. Imagine a Sammon/Murphy partnership, with Nouble and Bajner as back up .... We won't be going anywhere other than mid to lower table. If ME does cash in on McGoldrick, after getting rid of Cresswell, and doesn't bring in any permanent replacements by the close of the window then I will be bitterly disappointed. Emergency loans are not and never will be the answer if we wish to press on.

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ip5w1ch added 18:52 - Aug 30 That reads to me it's up mcgoldrick to say he wants to go. If he does good luck to him. No hard feelings he's been brilliant to watch and totally committed but I wouldn't begrudge him the chance to try the premier league at a club near to where he is from. Make your choice didz
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Dissblue added 18:53 - Aug 30 'McCarthy: Evans Doesn't Want to Do McGoldrick Deal' Yeah right! Course he doesn't. Get the debt down and get shot. Just please don't sell it to an American.
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Mark added 18:53 - Aug 30 I hope Mick does have a replacement lined up or at least in mind, as the comment about being cool with what he has and mentioning transfer-listed Nouble has to be a joke. Good result today ends a tough August, but we're 19th in the table and must improve. We have only scored five goals, three of which were from centre back Berra. We already need to sign some players who can score goals, and if McGoldrick goes that is an urgent priority.

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BlueandTruesince82 added 18:55 - Aug 30 If he wants to go you have to let him. Imagine your boss relling you that you cant quit your job for something else. Gutted to see it though. Gudettiif Man C? Wishful fthinking?
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IpswichFan26 added 19:00 - Aug 30 The way I think about Mick's comments are like this: Micks not going to want too say he's going to get a replacement for Didsy if he leaves because it potentially raises the cost of buying in new strikers. Also, I see it as a psychological benefit when he says he's cool with the strikers he has got here, of course everyone knows if we lose a player we need to bring a new one in, but MM isn't going to potentially ruin the rest of the strikers coinfidence only for us not to bring in anyone. Also, to me, Mick is sort of hinting that even if we do sell DM, the money may not be used in such a way that we, and Mick too, wants AKA a sizeable transfer budget. But I'm rambling and probably thinking way too much about it all haha.

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JWM added 19:02 - Aug 30 Come on boys use your noodle! Evans is hardly going to say that he wants the deal to go ahead is he!
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Bigbigg added 19:12 - Aug 30 Much as I'd be disappointed to see our striker with the most amount of quality by a distance leaving, I do at least greatly appreciate having a manager who tells it as it is. Refreshing change from all the bs you hear out of numerous owners/managers in the transfer window.
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Harlowtractorboy added 19:14 - Aug 30 Hope this is true but I won't hold my breath we been told this before with most other players. Roll on Monday 11 pm when the window closes
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muccletonjoe added 19:18 - Aug 30 Yet another soap opera about to roll out the next few days
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John added 19:20 - Aug 30 Sounds to me as if DM has been tapped up, if It had been outright rejected DM should never know about it as he is contracted to us. Sounds like DM is pushing for the move (and who can blame him) for the reasons MM gives. In that case I think he will go as he'll be seriously demotivated missing out on a dream prem move. Frustrating as it is at the end of the day we have to be pragmatic. Just pray we get to spend some of the dosh and thank him for his efforts last season and I nice profit on (effectively) a free transfer.

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groundhog added 19:21 - Aug 30 You have to take 8 million for McGoldrick. But not just to disappear on wages for loan signings. Sure we may have to loan in a striker till January. But the scouts need to scour the lower leagues for up and coming players. A striker who scores regulary in the lower leagues and a couple of midfielders who can make things happen and look to spend 3/4 of the McGoldrick money on these 3. Let's face it if the scouts are worth their money these players would recoup there outlay in the future. You won't ever make money on loanees. What we mustn't let happen is his contract to run down and get nothing for him. If ME and MM follow this path them I'm sure fans would show patience

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