Liverpool have reportedly been told by Ipswich to double their offer for sought-after youngster Connor Wickham to £11 million if they are to have any chance of signing the 18-year-old striker.

Big-spending Anfield boss Kenny Dalglish has apparently offered £5.5 million for the player currently on England duty at the European Under-21 Championship in Denmark and with Sunderland having also declared an interest — and not been put off by the asking price — he would appear to have no alternative but to substantially increase his offer.

Ironically, having sold midfielder Jordan Henderson to Liverpool for £20 million, the Black Cats have money to spend, although it remains to be seen whether or not Wickham would be interested in a move to Wearside, even if the two clubs were to agree a fee.

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is a long-term admirer of Wickham, having made a vain bid to sign him two years ago, offering a lump-sum payment and FOUR players — Grant Leadbitter and Carlos Edwards, who were subsequently bought by then Town boss Roy Keane, as well as Dean Whitehead and Daryl Murphy, who later moved to Portman Road on loan.

Wickham is said to have told friends he would prefer a move to Liverpool and Dalglish is widely expected to improve his initial offer in an attempt to persuade Ipswich to do a deal that would amount to a new club record, dwarfing the £6.5 million paid by Newcastle for Kieron Dyer in 1999.

Elsewhere, it is being reported that newly-relegated Birmingham City are considering a £2 million bid for Town midfielder Grant Leadbitter, and that Ipswich have all but secured the signature of central defender Ivar Ingimarsson, 33, following his release by Reading. As previously reported by TWTD, the player was at Portman Road last week for talks and a medical, and it appears only the necessary paperwork is to be completed.

Former Ipswich striker Jordan Rhodes, 21, is said to be unsettled at Huddersfield, where he was top scorer last season. Rhodes is anxious to clarify his situation after Millwall had a recent £700,000 bid for him rejected.

Another former Town star, 32-year-old midfielder Tommy Miller, is said to be interesting Charlton Athletic after his release last month by their League One rivals Sheffield Wednesday.

Meanwhile, ex-Town winger Bobby Petta is being asked to consider a comeback with Scottish part-timers Alloa Athletic. After three seasons at Portman Road the 36-year-old Dutchman moved to Celtic 12 years ago and was a big favourite during five years at Parkhead. He is now back in Scotland running a fitness business and has been asked to come out of retirement by another ex-Celtic player in Paul Hartley, who was recently installed as Alloa’s new manager.

Photo: Action Images

Dissblue added 11:34 - Jun 12 Why only £11m?
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NoCanariesAllowed added 11:42 - Jun 12 I'm sorry, "double" their offer to £11 million? Either somebody's got their maths wrong and that should be £16-18 million, or Liverpool's first supposed bid was just absolutely taking the mick.
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Mark added 11:42 - Jun 12 Wickham - So the real bid was only £5.5M? That's easy to reject and I agree £11M is a more sensible figure that we should insist upon. There is no need to sell Connor at the moment, as he and Chopra could be a formidable strike force next season. Leadbitter - If Birmingham really have bid £2M for him, which I doubt, then sell. If we do not sell, we have to get him to sign another contract as we cannot allow a £2.7M signing to leave for free next summer like we did with Norris and McAuley. Rhodes - I still feel anger at the way he was sold, and every Hudderfield goal has rubbed that in. I thought his value would have exceeded £2M, although I note he was a sub recently for Hudderfield so maybe his form dipped a bit. Worth a £1M punt perhaps? He is young, scores goals at a league below us and ticks the boxes of the sort of player we would like to sign.

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brittaniaman added 11:42 - Jun 12 YES WHY ?????
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OzzyBlue added 11:44 - Jun 12 Take 12 million and get shelvey and wickham on a season long loan.
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East_of_England added 11:45 - Jun 12 Jordan Henderson £20M and Connor £5.5M?? Embarrassing. We should tell Liverpool to piss of and raise the price to £15m...
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jas0999 added 11:49 - Jun 12 Wickham - I suspect £11M plus add ons is a fair price for him. Whether anyone will pay that is debatable as clearly Wickham is untried at a higher level. Would like to keep him, but expecting him to leave. Leadbitter - much will depned upon whether he is interested in signing a new contract. If not, we MUST sell. It was laughable losing McAuley and Norris for nothing - it must not happen again. However, if Grant wants to stay, we should not sell. PJ aleady has to replace Norris AND Bullard - a third change would be very unsettling. IMO neither Drury or Healy are good enough and I would worry if they started the season as our choice central pairing. Rhodes - Can we not just move on? This happened TWO years ago. Time to forget. Rhodes has gone and there is NO guarantee he would score goals at this level.

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casanovacrow added 11:50 - Jun 12 sell Connor for 11million + add ons might be an idea ...then buy back Rhodes for 1million, think we have a sell on clause on Rhodes so that would mean we pay less? As for Leadbitter for 2million ...yes please!
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TractorCam added 11:51 - Jun 12 Sounds a good price.
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Mark added 11:55 - Jun 12 If Rhodes is unsettled at Huddersfield he is worthy of consideration as a transfer target as is any decent young striker who scores at League One level, plus Rhodes went to school at Kesgrave and knows Ipswich well so it is a valid discussion. He has scored 35 goals in 82 league goals for Huddersfield and has only recently turned 21. Of course there is no guarantee he would score in the Championship, but "proven" scorers Priskin (5 goals in 39 for us) and Scotland (10 in 39) didn't do the business either, no doubt on much higher wages.

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bontcho added 11:56 - Jun 12 Leadbitter is in the last year of his contract so time to sell or offer him a new deal. Depends on who else Jewell has in the pipeline. I'm guessing the get out clause in Wickham's contract is £11 million then.
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Bluearmy71 added 12:12 - Jun 12 Dalglish oh no oh no..........you may well have been one of the the most talented footballers of your era with you twists and turns the use of both feet, trophy winning exploits and flashes of low centre of gravity genius.......but.......if you came up to my door with a pathetic offer of 5.5m for one of the countries brightest talents with a smug look on your face waving your Blankety Blank cheque book and pen in one hand and a cardboard cut out European trophy in the the other in an attempt to bewilder me into thinking you were actually being serious with the the derisory amount you called an offer, I'd be like Oiiiiiiiiii Dalglish noooooooooooooooooooooooooo get back to your Kop end you former No7 shirt wearing, Cheshire cat grinning, ginger Scottish legend, you may never walk alone but that does not give you the right to try and rob us, now get back on your Ferry across the Mersey before you get a slap and don't come back!

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bluestu71 added 12:13 - Jun 12 Leadbitter can go but £11m for Wickham, don't make me laugh.
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TractorMan added 12:13 - Jun 12 Birmingham are in big financial trouble, so unlikely to have bid anything for Leadbitter. Remember this is the club asking 8m for Jerome! Makes the 5.5m offer for Wickham look even more ridiculous!
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ipswich85 added 12:24 - Jun 12 Get Jordan Rhodes
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icetruckiller added 12:24 - Jun 12 £5.5 million for Connor, p1$$-taking scousers.
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fussysnake added 12:25 - Jun 12 can someone please remind me why were even selling him yet? lol he needs another season in the championship
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RYITFC added 12:32 - Jun 12 £5.5 Million are they for real. Im more angry at us for going back to them. The offer should have just been laughed off. The boys only going to get better, Lets keep him another year, He'll score 20-30 for us next yearand be in the England team, Then we can tell Liverpool to cough up £35 Million. Leadbitter would like to see us hold onto, Didn't have a great year last year but we are losing the core of our team, I think he will have a better season next year. Rhodes if we looking for a new striker has got to be good value even though we made a loss, Maybe we should just admit we got this one wrong. £1.5 Mil would get him, Compare that to £3-4 Million for Sharp. Sign Petta as well. Super, Super Bob Super etc

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broomfield123 added 12:33 - Jun 12 i thought we were offerd 8 mill.Wheres the logic in signing rhodes back. The simple truth is that his gone and dont make the sames mistake with Wickham. Id keep leadbetter and lets get his contract sorted.If you do it now and get promoted him package should be less than it would be if he signed a contract when we have been promoted
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GTRKing added 12:34 - Jun 12 dnt sell connor plz. Looks like we got a new defender so tht 2 players we got so far better than last few years. Dnt **** this one up but u won't so all ok. Chops/ Ivar Ingimasson are good on Fifa 11.
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Wickets added 12:34 - Jun 12 Yer resign Rhodes then we can pay ourselves the sell on clause!!!
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GTRKing added 12:36 - Jun 12 need new players not old ones
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Mungo added 12:37 - Jun 12 £5.5m is a bit of a daft one considering that Town rejected a bid of £8m last year and have since secured CW on a longer contract. Arguably an attempt to unsettle the player? £11m is probably ambitious from Town's perspective (a lot to pay for relatively unproven potential) but it sounds like clubs are not far off meeting this price. Presumably these are all referring to up front bids? I would expect add ons relating to future success. £2m for GL is probably a fair enough offer, although given Birmingham's inflated valuations of their own players we might consider haggling with them a bit? I agree that Town should also discuss the future with GL. He struggled to live up to his own high standards last season and, following the change of manager, may wish to move on... Jordan Rhodes - Interesting. If he is unsettled at Huddersfield, it may well be worth considering a bid (if he would consider coming back here). He has scored consistently in League 1 over the past two seasons and Town would have an opportunity to buy him for less than other clubs by waiving any sell on clause. An interesting one for PJ to think about...

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bostonusablue added 12:40 - Jun 12 Let's all be honest here, it is one persons decision whether Wickham leaves, and that's his. If Liverpool offer the right amount, then he's off. To be honest, I can't understand why everyone keeps harping on about him because he is not the next Rooney. Look at them at the same age; Rooney was miles ahead. He is good, but I think that Dyer was better at that age too. I think 11 million is good business and will allow PJ to invest more in the club, to get us back to the Premier League. All clubs are selling clubs, if the right offer comes in and the player wants to leave: example Ronaldo to Real Madrid.

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Legend added 13:02 - Jun 12 Jog on Liverpool................. If we say 11 million why not round it off at 15 million. I personaly would love to see Wickham and Chopra up front for next season.
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