Town’s attempt to sign Preston striker Jordan Hugill looks to be over with the Lilywhites unwilling to sell the 24-year-old, according to Blues boss Mick McCarthy, who still continues to search for a new frontman ahead of Tuesday’s 11pm deadline.

Asked whether he had given up on signing Hugill, who scored Preston’s last-gasp equaliser against the Blues at Deepdale on Saturday, Town having had a second bid of £2 million for the former Port Vale man rebuffed a few days earlier, McCarthy said: “I think they gave up on us, they’re not selling him.”

Could there be further additions to his squad before the window closes? “Possibly, we’re still trying but as I said right at the very start of it, it’s going to be difficult and that’s just how it’s proven to be.”

Has he had any feedback on the offers he made last week? “The only feedback we’ve had is a no.”

A replacement for Daryl Murphy, who was sold to Newcastle at the end of the August window for £3 million was top of the January wish-list, so would McCarthy be frustrated if one wasn’t signed before tomorrow’s deadline?

“I kind of face reality, me. I’m fairly pragmatic,” the Blues manager added. “We’ve tried our best. I don’t get into that mode, I get into thinking that whatever we’ve got we’ll get the best out of them and make do with what we’ve got rather than thinking [it would be frustrating].

“I’m not like that. I just think it’s done, get on with it, we’ll crack on and work with what we’ve got, as I’ve always done. And done pretty successfully, to be honest.”

He says he’s continue to work on making that addition in the time remaining: “But I’ll have to stop scouting at a quarter to eight tomorrow night.”

McCarthy says he knows nothing of reported loan interest from Coventry for midfielder Jonathan Douglas - “It’s nothing I’ve heard anything about but if Russell Slade rings me up, I’ll speak to him” - and says he's not aware of anyone chasing any of his players.

“No idea, I haven’t got a clue,” he said. “If there is nobody’s telling me. Everybody and sundry is promoting Tom Lawrence to go here, there and everywhere and we all know that he’s signed and it has to be agreed by us, Leicester and him and that’s not going to happen."

McCarthy says he’d be up for sending some of his younger players out on loan with midfielder Kundai Benyu set to extend his stay with Vanarama National League Aldrershot.

“Yes, I might send some of them on loan,” he continued. “It’s certainly benefiting Kundai.

“I was speaking to [Shots manager] Gary Waddock today and they’re going keep him, we’ve got a 24-hour recall on him and hopefully towards the end of the season if we’re neither going up nor down then we can blood some of the young ‘uns and Kundai will be better off having had two, three, maybe four months playing in the National League.

“They keep taking him month to month and when I spoke to Gary Waddock today I said we’ll just keep it the same.

“It wouldn’t make any difference if we said to the end of the season because we’ve still got a 24-hour recall. They just keep turning it over every month. I’m fine whichever way they want it.”

Regarding striker Leon Best, who he stated last week wouldn’t play for the club again, McCarthy says he’s unlikely to leave during January as he has to undergo minor surgery.

“No, I doubt it, he’s got to have a little op on a groin operation he had before he came here,” the Town boss added. “That’s just got to be tidied up, that won’t be a long thing. But very unlikely.”

Photo: Action Images

BluedanW added 20:08 - Jan 30 So we are no better off than we were a day before the transfer deadline day just after we sold murphy. This club is being run into the ground by these clowns.
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MicksZzzTactics added 20:18 - Jan 30 @BlueBoy: Can't help but agreeing with all your posts here on this article. Yours rather nasty one too @Prebbs007 of course! @BlueBoy (or anyone else here I'm in good sync with opinion-wise ... & humor-wise!): Mayday Mayday .... Really really need someone kind & merciful to help me just a bit as I have been "found out" by our in-house Wannabe-Sherlock (who also semi-terrorizes EADT btw with his beyond "clever" Anti-MM'er smearcampaigns and ultra "shrewd" Arthur Conan Doyle worthy deductions LOL) @MrDiddle... who successfully called my bluff today so to speak .... You can read all about it including my conscience-heavy "CONFESSION" on page 4 of TWTD's match review article from Saturday's game!!! And as an direct result of what was triggered by @MrDiddle's startling accusations I fear I've to flee my East Anglia home any moment now .... as I keep hearing the roars of the proverbial pitchfork equipped 'Angry Mob' in the not too-far-away distance, soon to be coming down my exact road! ... so right now I have started a small bonfire in the garden for the purpose of burning all incriminating evidence including all my beloved ITFC memorabilia aye even the rare stuff like for instance my Laurie Sivell Testimonial Programme (which also happen to be the 1st game the great & late Dalian Atkinson ever played with the big senior boys I believe, 1st I saw him in anyway) and similar ..... Aye it hasn't been easy living undercover and "in disguise" for around 40 long years, so although I'm somewhat relieved it's finally all over now ,I do feel somewhat obligated to like warn the rest of you super brave Anti-MM'ers: In real medieval Inquisition style the dreaded & meticulous @MrDiddle might finger YOU!, aye YOU! to be an impostor (or whatever actually! LOL) next! , so beware people of what you write or just even infer on TWTD from here on out! :-) PS: In any event expect yours truly too be absent from TWTD "indefinitely" ... or at least until the 'Angry Mob' have seriously cooled down or I have not only acquired a new set of phony ID papers but also completed a full facial plastic surgery! .... whatever happens first really. :-)

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bluesince76 added 20:40 - Jan 30 The best bit of buisiness this club could do this year is sign lawrence, sack ma carthy,look abroad maybe south america for a striker , hopefully taylor is as good as was sign him up, not bothered about hugill average.WELL I CAN DREAM.
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itfchorry added 21:34 - Jan 30 Thinking that Portman Road is going to be Red hot tomorrow -
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TractorRoyNo1 added 21:40 - Jan 30 If Town font think he's worth £3m then move on
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blues1 added 21:51 - Jan 30 Oh what a surprise jas0999. It's Evans fault. No, it's McCarthy who decides who he wants to sign and how much he thinks we should offer. Only then does Evans take over. Sone1 said about the Payet situation as regards to the right offer. Well west ham dropped £10m off their supposed asking price so isnt always the case. For those saying we should have been looking from time we sold Murphy? Well Yes, and we have been. McCarthy stated so in November but at the end of the day you can't actually do anything until the window opens. And if u look at the whole of this window, very few clubs in the championship have actually signed players. January is never an easy time and never will be as prices are always inflated.

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GiveusaWave added 23:30 - Jan 30 I can't see this signing happening and it's worth seriously considering others before the deadline. In my opinion, McGoldrick (often injured), Sears, Pittman and Moore isn't enough of a threat up front. Couple of injuries (which always happens) and we might find Sears and Moore up front, with nobody to come on as impact subs. We need one striker AT LEAST before the door shuts. For me, Moore isn't ready (it's a huge jump). Morris and McLaughlin don't look ready for first team football. So, in reality, we have 3 championship strikers right now. Makes me wonder whether we should have kept Varney...... The situation with Leon Best isn't great either. Yes, he's been poor so far, but he's never going to play for us again yet still hangs round the club. I can't see how that is beneficial to the club. Demotivated players spread demotivation.

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wayway added 00:43 - Jan 31 Was anyone stupid enough to think the Evans Corporation would spend any money in thi window? What have we got, 2 from non league and three cast offs all for about 15 grand and sod all in wages. I wonder what the spiel will be when it comes to season ticket renewal time this year. Anyone remember the Who track 'Wont get fooled again '
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Toronto_Tractor added 04:02 - Jan 31 No one can convince me that the loan market suits anybody other than the parent club, and even then its rare. Yes Lawrence is great as was Dos Santos or Mahon, but loans take clubs backwards. We will never build a real team by borrowing players from elsewhere to pave the cracks.
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thebeat added 08:05 - Jan 31 5 months......£10,000. Total disgrace! Never any intention to spend the Murphy money.Lying to the fans now the norm. S**tbags
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