Town have made striker Pablo Couñago available on a free transfer. The Spaniard is the club's highest earner, his wage approaching £20,000-a-week and making up around a fifth of the overall payroll.

Couñago, contracted until June 2005, joined Town on a Bosman free transfer from Celta Vigo in the summer of 2001. After a goalless first season, he finished as top scorer in 2002/03, netting 21 times, the vast majority of those at home.

Last season did not go so well, poor form, particularly in away games, and then injuries kept him on the sidelines for much of the time.

With his wage increasingly unmanageable - Town now without Premiership parachute payments - it seemed likely he would leave over the summer, probably to return to La Liga.

However, there has been no interest in the 25-year-old frontman, spotted by George Burley scoring twice for the Spanish U21s against England's youngsters.

The Blues will be hopeful that Spanish clubs may be alerted to his availability on a free ahead of the closure of the transfer window at the end of the month.

If there is any interest in Couñago, Town may be forced into paying off a percentage of the remaining 10 months of his contract, as they did when Martijn Reuser joined Willem II in the summer.

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