TWTD understands that Town are continuing to pursue their interest in Southend United midfielder Jack Payne.

A report yesterday claimed Huddersfield were the close to landing the highly-rated 21-year-old but we understand the Blues are also still very much in the hunt with manager Mick McCarthy keen to add goals to his midfield.

Wolves and Dutch side Sparta Rotterdam have also been linked with Payne, who will be out of contract at the end of the season and seems certain to leave Roots Hall having failed to agree new terms, while Bristol City and Millwall are also interested.

As Payne is under 24 years of age Southend would be due compensation from his new club, a figure either agreed between the sides or by a tribunal. According to the Southend Echo, Huddersfield and Sparta are the only ones to have contacted the Shrimpers so far, although sides can speak to the player without having sought permission from his current club.

In March, TWTD reported that Town boss McCarthy was spotted at Roots Hall watching the League One game between Southend and Crewe Alexandra in which Payne scored a last-minute penalty as the sides drew 1-1.

The 5ft 5in tall attacking midfielder was released by Tottenham as a schoolboy and subsequently joined the Shrimpers.

Having come through the Essex club’s youth system Payne, who can play centrally, wide or up front, broke into the senior side at the start of the 2013/14 season.

Since then the Londoner has gone on to make 52 starts and 35 sub appearances, scoring 17 goals, nine of them during 2015/16.

Meanwhile, Town keeper Bartosz Bialkowski played the second half of former Blue Kelvin Davis’s testimonial at his old club Southampton last night.

Bialkowski replaced Davis, 38, at half-time for a Saints Promotions XI, which also included former Town left-back Dan Harding and ex-Blues loanee Richard Chaplow, as they lost 5-4 to a current Southampton team.

Elsewhere, Blues midfielder or striker Monty Patterson is currently in action for New Zealand in a warm-up game ahead of the Oceania Nations Cup against Western Pride in Ipswich, Queensland. The 19-year-old netted a freekick in the ninth minute.

Photo: Action Images

commuterblue added 11:39 - May 19 i guess this is the result of a paynestaking recruitment process
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dusth added 20:56 - May 19 What will we be Payne him?
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dusth added 20:57 - May 19 I think ME finds the recruitment process a bit of a Payne.
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dusth added 20:58 - May 19 But not such a Payne as some people on here.
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dusth added 21:01 - May 19 And no one seems to know where he'll be Playne.
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dusth added 21:02 - May 19 Or if when he's Playne he's any good.
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dusth added 21:03 - May 19 To be frank this has got a bit Messi .
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