Blues boss Paul Jewell says Crawley’s offer for midfielder Andy Drury was half what the clubs agreed before the 28-year-old joined the League Two leaders on loan in September. The former Luton man enjoyed a very successful spell at the Broadfield Stadium in which he was never on the losing side in any competition.

Red Devils boss Steve Evans said last week that his club had had a “significant” bid rebuffed, an opinion not shared by his Town counterpart: “We agreed a fee before he went on loan if he did well for them and they wanted him.

“I don’t think he did that well for them as he played in 13 [league] games and they won 10 and drew three and the bid was half of what we agreed, so I wouldn’t even have said it was a bid really.”

Evans says his club are not looking to get Drury back on another loan in January and appears to suggest that no new bid is imminently in the offing: "I was given a figure I was cleared to offer by the board. We made the offer in writing and Ipswich were very professional but rejected it.

"Andy Drury played a part for us. People can say what they want, but there are far more important players at this football club."

In any case Drury is likely to find himself back in Jewell’s plans at Town over the next few weeks with Colin Healy recently moving on and Keith Andrews out with his hamstring tear and with his loan set to end next week.

The Blues boss admits that last January’s £150,000 signing from Luton hasn’t really been given a chance to show what he can do since that switch having made only five starts and eight substitute appearances.

Jewell says his matches in League Two — plus two in the FA Cup - will have benefited him: “He’s come back and has played something like 13 games while at Crawley, which will have done him the world of good fitness-wise, and confidence-wise he’s got used to playing football again.

“He probably hasn’t really had the chance of a long run in the team, to be fair to Andy and he comes into consideration.”

Photo: Action Images

blueoff added 09:12 - Dec 30 What Town will do is release him on a free and get nothing, as in Norris/Mcauley, so where is the sence in that.
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casanovacrow added 09:14 - Dec 30 Sticking my head on the stocks here but his energy in the middle might just be what we are looking for next to Bowyer.
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Suffolkboy73 added 09:26 - Dec 30 Give him a whirl!
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airliner added 09:27 - Dec 30 Insulting of Crawley to think they could just half the price! But its our gain and their loss as I hope Drury will feature over the next couple of games.
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bluearmy4life added 09:30 - Dec 30 Andy Is obviously confident now he has got some games under his belt. He needs a run in the team 4-5 games and see how he get's on. PJ give him a chance.
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irishtim added 09:40 - Dec 30 Crazy by pj to leave him play in fa cup.
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Facefacts added 09:45 - Dec 30 We are right to put the Crawley upstarts in their place over this 'offer'. Andy Drury may get games as cover in midfield, although it's disappointing he won't be available to play against Hull City in the FA Cup.
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cornishblu added 10:20 - Dec 30 .....on from my last post re collins.....this smacks of us now being known as inept in transfer dealings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!....we let a player get cup tied and the way the club is being managed allows a lower league club to think they have a chance of pulling a fast one on us...........we are becoming the laughing stock of the lower leagues now.......what has happened to my beloved town!!!

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tractorboy2434 added 10:20 - Dec 30 The thing to remember here is that he WANTS to leave, got a lot of games in Div 2 which is probably his level, too slow for Champ, and regarding the fee we probably overpaid (again) and Crawley probably offered what they think he is worth, not what we paid !
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bluelady added 10:47 - Dec 30 Tractorboy we agreed a fee with them then they back tracked on the original deal, nowt to do with what we paid for him!
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Mark added 10:49 - Dec 30 Sounds a bit like Crawley got him on loan under false pretenses then, taking him with a view to a permanent move and agreeing a provisional fee but then only offering half that when it came to it. I wonder what the original fee was? £100K maybe? Never mind Crawley, you could always sign Colin Healy instead. He is looking for a club and I read on here he was a good signing by Keane. ;-)

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Tractamatt added 12:21 - Dec 30 Give him a go. As for him being cuptied who cares, would rather go out first round than have a long run in a cup competition that we are not gonna win and end up relegated.
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TractorRoyNo1 added 15:24 - Dec 30 take the money, it will pay nearly a month of bullards silly wages
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jas0999 added 19:06 - Dec 30 yep - if they changed the deal the club were right to reject it. However, I still don't think Drury is anywhere near good enough if we have serious ambitions of promotion within the next two seasons.
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