Town are once again being linked to 23-year-old Bournemouth defender Carl Fletcher, along with West Bromwich Albion.

Fletcher was strongly rumoured to be a target of Joe Royle earlier in the summer, however he signed a new contract which will keep him at the Dorset club until 2005.

Town have already brought in Drissa Diallo and Georges Santos, players who play in Fletcher's centre-half position, and Joe Royle even felt he had enough cover to allow Thomas Gaardsøe to join West Brom.

The story could come from the Town manager taking a trip to Dean Court last week to see Bournemouth play in a pre-season game. The Cherries were facing Reading in that match and Royle was running the rule over Alan Pardew's side.

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