Everton, Aston Villa, Bolton and Swansea are all in the hunt to sign Town’s loan midfielder Keith Andrews from Blackburn when the January transfer window opens, according to one of this morning's tabloids. Elsewhere, the Blues are again linked with Doncaster frontman Billy Sharp.

Blackburn are understood to be willing to allow Andrews to leave on a free transfer in order to get the remaining 18 months of his contract off their books with his spell at Town having caught the eye of plenty of Premier League scouts. Previously Wigan have also been linked.

After yesterday’s victory over Derby, in which the Irish international netted the ninth goal of his spell with the Blues, boss Paul Jewell revealed that Andrews’s agent is set to hold talks with Town owner Marcus Evans on Monday.

If the linked Premier League sides firm up their interest, particularly the likes of Everton and Aston Villa, then it seems highly unlikely that the 31-year-old will be with the Blues for the second half of the season.

Meanwhile, Southampton, Cardiff, Burnley and Town are all said to be targeting Doncaster’s Billy Sharp in January. The Blues previously had a £2.3 million offer for the 25-year-old rebuffed in the summer, while the striker turned down a move to Southampton after they had agreed a £3.25 million deal with Rovers.

Sharp reportedly has a clause in his contract, which stretches to the summer of 2013, which means Doncaster would now have to allow him to move on if they receive an offer of £1.75 million.

Elsewhere, Spurs boss Harry Redknapp says he ultimately decided not to buy Town’s Connor Wickham as the Blues’ valuation was greater than he was willing to pay for the striker: “We kept looking at him. We watched him dozens of times and we liked him but we felt it was a lot of money for him.

“We have young players here like Harry Kane. He is a bit younger, we like him and we didn't feel we wanted to pay that money for Wickham.”

The England U21 international instead joined Sunderland for £8.1 plus further clauses taking the deal to £12 million and a sell-on percentage.

Photos: Action Images

Photo: Action Images

itfcjc added 09:51 - Dec 18 Everton, Villa, Bolton and Swansea can get lost I can't see us getting sharp
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Michael11 added 10:04 - Dec 18 Highly unlikely that Andrews will come if such big clubs are after him, lets hope marcus evans pulls his finger out tomorrow and sells the club to him! Id love billy sharp to sign but whos actually going to provide any sort of service for him in our midfield?
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piersmorganisatool added 10:14 - Dec 18 as much as want him to stay, and think staying here would be of greater benefit for him, i just can't see him staying. as for the Billy Sharp situation? don't think we'll be frontrunners on that one either. although our form is starting to pick up again, i think we're very much a basket case club at the moment. the next few months will be a struggle.
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geography26 added 10:33 - Dec 18 Would love Andrews to stay and tbh I cant see him being any more than a bit part player for these premier league clubs. If billy sharp signed it would make my year as I think he would score the goals to take us up the table. I see Jordan Rhodes got another 4 yesterday.
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Karlosfandangal added 10:37 - Dec 18 If we go in for Sharpe and offer £3.5 million and offer a 3 to four year contract on good money, Offer Andrews a 3 year contract on the sort of money we are playing Bullard we will get them both. If we start offering £2.5 million for sharpe and one or two year contracts to Andrews we have no chance of getting them. If we had offered McAuley and Norris longer contract they would be with the club now. It would stop all this 18 players out of contract at the end of the season stuff but on the other hand a long contract could leave us with a Lisbie, Counago stiuation

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brogansnose added 10:40 - Dec 18 You never know as we could be in with a shout. Andrews is 31 and surely the pinnacle of his career would be playing for Ireland in the Euro's. At PR he will be playing every week and looking good to Trappatoni rather than bench warming elsewhere and getting out of match sharpness and fitness. Mind you money talks. Must have been one almighty fall out at Blackburn for all these, in my opinion, better clubs to want him, and not his own club.

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SamPentas added 10:59 - Dec 18 Surely they can see that although Andrews scores in the championship could he really do the same in the Premiership? I really hope we can sign him up, he has been great for us and if he REALLY loves this club like he says then he will prioritize itfc!
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Marshalls_Mullet added 11:00 - Dec 18 Karlos - SO glad youre not running / bankrupting the club.
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Lanky added 11:04 - Dec 18 To be honest, is this just because of the goals? His all-round performances have been good, but certainly not top half premier league standard.
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broomfield123 added 11:10 - Dec 18 Would like some defenders who ca at the very least defend and not prone to injuries then build our way forward. Ingi and sonko and to injury prone and edwards is never a full back. Surely it can't be that hard to get some half decent defenders
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Radlett_blue added 11:12 - Dec 18 If all these clubs want to sign Andrews, who do Blackburn, bottom of the league, want to let him go for free?
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strikalite added 11:19 - Dec 18 Villa or Everton can have him......then loan him to us again :)
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Karlosfandangal added 11:26 - Dec 18 Marshalls Mullet Agree we would be out business by now if i ran the club, However why are we looking at Andrews and Collins if we know we cant really afford them. It should be thanks for what you have done and move on to players we can afford (ie Cresswells) and look for promotion in 2 or 3 years as we build a team. Why have we spent money on Jet , that money could have been spent on Sharpe plus the wages we are paying Jet and Ellington would have paid for his wages same could be said about Murphy, we have Carson Edwards and Martin who can play on the wings. Robson 14 players brought in 13 years Jewell 13 Players brought in 4 months and still more to come in. Still have the Wickham money lets hope it is used well

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Pip50 added 11:30 - Dec 18 Strikalite. Spot on. Bolton and Swansea are likely to be in championship next year and Blackburn the next worst want to give him away. He is good but no mid table Premier player.
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gilo1973 added 11:42 - Dec 18 Karlos - have you seen the accounts? There is no money left from Wickham sale. Our turnover also prevents paying high wages as new rules due will link wages to t/o
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rosseden added 11:43 - Dec 18 Andrews wants games before the euros. Suspect he could be offered armband if he stays. Will he go into any of those teams every week? Don't rule up out yet. As for sharp. I thought it unlikely before but after the crowd response to his goal against us, we might have a chance with a decent deal . . . . .
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RedDust added 11:48 - Dec 18 I think we are the favourites for Sharpe.. southampton are amazing this season but we don't know if it's just high morale and confidence which is giving them such a high level of performance, this could drain out of them in the 2nd half of the season. I feel Ipswich do have an ace in the hole with the way the Ipswich supporters treated Clarke a couple of months back.. stuff like that won't wash away so soon considering the subject matter!!

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blues1 added 11:59 - Dec 18 karlosfandangel. why the hell would we offer £3.5 million for sharpe when he has a clause in his contract allowing hi to leave for £1.75 million? i presume you not work in finance!!!
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alfromcol added 12:14 - Dec 18 I have a good feeling that Andrews will sign, but the vibes from Collins is that he won't be back. His family ties will keep him in the Midlands. Great if we got Sharp, but long odds on this. Do we another striker?
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tractorboybig added 12:23 - Dec 18 Andrews is not returning and sharp is not coming..period.
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davidsc1971 added 13:00 - Dec 18 The only real threat based on the likelihood of Premier League survival is Villa. Everton can't afford him and the rest will struggle this year and/or next. The biggest bargaining chip we have on our side is the armband. Get him on a free, sell Leadbitter and Priskin, offer him financial security with a chunky 3 year contract and Robert's your Father's brother. In for a penny, in for a pound. I think we need to be in the mix at the top of the table before the financial fair play rules kick in. Build a team around Andrews, Bullard, Chopra and Scotland + we've a fighting chance. COYB!

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s6blue added 13:14 - Dec 18 was nice while it lasted keith...good luck and goodbye
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jas0999 added 13:29 - Dec 18 Andrews will be leaving. Collins and Stockdale will not return. PJ messed up the keeper situation and now we face having to play Smith at CB for a couple of games as PJ failed to sort out a back-up. Hope PJ proves me wrong - but there is a lot to do in January - let's hope he has learnt from his many mistakes and has a plan of action!
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taylor15 added 13:30 - Dec 18 i can see us getting sharp, but sadly not andrews! :( .. sharp said that he wouldn't turn a move down to come to us, and he said he thinks our fans are fantastic, we love him, so why not?
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bournemouthblue added 13:33 - Dec 18 Everton and Aston Villa after Andrews? That's us buggered then!
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