Town are once again linked with Doncaster Rovers duo Billy Sharp and James Coppinger in this morning’s tabloids. TWTD first mentioned striker Sharp in connection with the Blues when manager Paul Jewell was spotted at their game at Derby in March, while Town’s interest in midfielder Coppinger has been a persistent rumour over the last few days.

According to today’s national reports, the Blues have offered £2 million for Sharp and £600,000 for Coppinger.

Sharp, 25, started his career with hometown club Sheffield United, spending time on loan at Rushden and Diamonds during the second half of 2004/05.

That summer, the 5ft 9in tall frontman moved on to Scunthorpe for £100,000 and it was at Glanford Park where Sharp made his name netting 24 times in his first season and on 32 occasions in his second — the most for the club for 45 years - as he helped the Iron into the League One title.

A return to Bramall Lane followed via a £2 million deal but Sharp’s second spell with the Blades never really got going, his first two seasons yielding six goals apiece.

Doncaster took him on loan a month into 2009/10 and the goals began to flow again, 15 following on from an early season strike for the Blades.

Rovers boss Sean O’Driscoll made the switch a permanent one last summer when paid his club’s South Yorkshire neighbours £1.1 million, the striker signing a three-year deal.

This season, Sharp scored another 16 goals, including two against the Blues in Town’s 3-2 win in January. Overall, Sharp has netted 109 times in 219 starts and 24 sub appearances during his career.

Coppinger, 30, began his footballing life with Darlington but Newcastle United signed him for £250,000 while the Guisborough-born player was still a teenager.

Two loans at Hartlepool followed with a single Premier League game from the bench for the Magpies and an appearance-less spell at QPR in between them.

Coppinger joined Exeter on a free transfer in the summer of 2002 and spent two years at the other St James’ Park before moving on to Doncaster for £30,000 in June 2004. This season the 5ft 7in tall midfielder has scored seven goals but also helped Sharp to many of his.

Over his career, Coppinger, who like Sharp is contracted to Rovers until 2013, has made 359 starts and 53 sub appearances, scoring 52 goals.

Earlier in the week, Rovers defender George Friend was also mentioned in connection with the Blues.

Meanwhile, relegated Preston are reported to be willing to listen to offers for central defender Sean St Ledger with the Blues still believed to be interested in the Republic of Ireland international.

Town had a bid turned down by the Lilywhites in January with manager Paul Jewell unhappy that the matter was made public.

St Ledger, 26, has another year left on his contract at Deepdale and is one of their highest earners. A fee of £1.5 million would probably secure his services. The Blues are on the look-out for an experienced centre-half with Gareth McAuley off to West Brom on a Bosman.

Elsewhere, George Burley has joined Jim Magilton in being linked with the vacant manager's job at Swindon.

Photo: Action Images

Blue_it added 10:31 - May 13 Would be great if true, remember the hatrick Coppinger scored in the play off semis a few year back, good with both feet. Needless to say Sharp would be great buy also
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suffolkpoker added 10:34 - May 13 yes please, this would be great business imo!!
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BROTHERBLUE1974 added 10:34 - May 13 Sounds good to me, sure they would fit in nicely in the town squad!
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marcusevans added 10:35 - May 13 Just the sort of players we need to help push us on. Also good to see us trying to get deals done early and quickly.
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We8Norwich added 10:36 - May 13 This rumour is not going away! Sign both the Donny boys up and take St. Ledger off of Prestons hands. These would be very good signings. COYB
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blueoff added 10:38 - May 13 What a load of old tosh, why bother with these rumours, we all know m.e won't spend the money needed
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dan_itfc55 added 10:40 - May 13 very impressed with this if it's true! - looking forward to next season if we can sign players like this and a few more!!! - things are finally looking up
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Jewelly_Noted added 10:41 - May 13 Can Sharp be our new Marcus Stewart ?
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JimmyJazz added 10:43 - May 13 Good idea to get both of them, Coppinger was one of the top assist scorers (?) in the Championship last season, and as the report says Sharp was on the end of most of them
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sonian_blue added 10:45 - May 13 Sharp, Coppinger and St Ledger, now that would be a great start. A solid international central defender, a proven goalscorer and his mate to provide the ammmo. Roll on August, feeling all optimistic again!
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robdaful added 10:46 - May 13 Can't wait to read they've signed. Sharp is more vital. Being the Fox in the box and we seem to be able to set them up.
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tractaboy added 10:51 - May 13 Somebody wake me up when we've actually signed somebody. Hate to be negative but until I see a picture of them holding a Town shirt up in the Brittania stand It's just the same rumours over and over. Dont get me wrong I would love to see all 3 players mentioned in a Town shirt, preferably in the next few days. They are exactly who we need. Cant see Donny letting them go that cheap tho. As much as we need some big signings in very early for a change, the last few years and the time it's taken from "linked with" to "signed" doesn't fill me with confidence. It's Friday and Jewell was hoping to have signed someone this week. Players are probably off on their hols now, but we need to hit the ground running for the new season, So do my blood pressure a favour Clegg and Jewellio and get all three signed by half past four this afternoon!

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daniel9624 added 11:01 - May 13 Love this talk. If there was no rumours coming out of PR, everyone would be saying "why aren't we being linked with anyone". Glad we are being linked with quality, and potential, as well as people that know the leagues and more importantly how to score in them!
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blaggers added 11:02 - May 13 Problem is that Sharp has just bought a new house in Sheffield, so despite the money on offer, probably won't want to move down here. He'd more likely prefer a move to Leeds.
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casanovacrow added 11:02 - May 13 Sadly I cant see Doncaster accepting either, especially 600k for their players player of the season. The Two of them are practically the team. Is 2.6 million worth championship suicide to them?
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Lightningboy added 11:04 - May 13 Sharp would be a great signing as would St.Ledger. Good luck to George & Jim with the swindon job too..be great to see them both back in management.
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DanLyles added 11:10 - May 13 I read somewhere that Coppinger scored 7, made 10 assists last season and runs defenders ragged with his work rate. He seems to regularly score around that number. Sharp also has an excellent work rate (unlike Scotland and Priskin) plus he is a proven goal scorer at Champ level (apart with Shef Utd). I would love to see Sharp up top with Wickham in a 442, then Carson and Coppinger on the flanks and Bullard with Leadbitter (or a new holding man) in the engine room.

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NottsBlue added 11:11 - May 13 Signing Coppinger and Sharp would seriously boost our some what blunt attack. The signing of St.Ledger would also seem a logical one to me, as hes a defender with international experience as was Mcauley. I dont see many problems with them wanting to join us, unless a team closer to home came in for any of them. The only possible stumbling block is price, with the repoted figures that would be a total expenditure of around £4.1 million - a lot of money!

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andygizmo added 11:17 - May 13 so cresweel, coppinger, sharp, st ledger are todays bets! Are Ladbrokes offering odds on how many of the 4 feature in the blues shirts next year? Tomorrow Messi, Tevez and Kaka.
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algarvefan added 11:36 - May 13 A deal is only a deal when it's done......it must be summer time with all these rumours lol. It would be nice to get any deals done early this year to have the 'new' squad together for start of pre season, come on you blues......& Cleggy!!!!
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Surco72 added 11:44 - May 13 Would be three good signings for the club ,all are probably on holiday so no deals will be done for a while but positive rumours at least ,the right kind of players to be linked with
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scooterblue added 11:46 - May 13 get them in
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suffolkpoker added 11:50 - May 13 i want to see we are talking to these players, with bids agreed! I heard somewhere the stumbling block for Sharp is Donnie want the money upfront. We are offering instalments... not sure the truth just what ive heard!
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rogie_dog added 12:04 - May 13 I too am not sure why Doncaster would let these players go UNLESS they both want away. Surely we could improve their wages so can't see that being an issue. St Ledger seems more of a goer to me with Preston being relegated. All three would be good signings though.
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jas0999 added 12:44 - May 13 Good experienced players at this level. But can we do the deals?
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