Dundee United are reported to have quoted the Blues a fee of £900,000 for left-sided defender Gavin Gunning. Blues boss Paul Jewell and chief scout Steve McCall are said to have had the 21-year-old Irishman watched on at least three occasions recently, including last Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Celtic.

Dubliner Gunning played youth football with St Joseph’s Boys Club and Crumlin United before moving to England and joining the Blackburn Rovers Academy in 2006.

The 6ft 2in tall centre-half or left-back subsequently went out on loan to Tranmere, Rotherham, Bury and Motherwell — for whom he played and hit the bar in their 2010/11 3-0 Scottish Cup final defeat to Celtic — but failed to make a senior appearance for the Ewood Park club.

Last summer, the seven-times-capped Republic of Ireland U21 international negotiated his release from his contract at Blackburn and signed for Dundee United, turning down Aberdeen, former loan side Motherwell and Scunthorpe. Since moving to Tannidice he has made 33 starts and two sub appearances, scoring three goals, and was named in PFA Scotland's SPL Team of the Year.

Gunning, who is contracted to the Terrors until the summer of 2014, is set to miss this Sunday’s final game of the season at Motherwell due to a shoulder injury.

Meanwhile, Blues target Joel Ward is understood to have held talks with Leeds United on Wednesday. Four clubs are in the running for the versatile Portsmouth defender or midfielder with the Whites claimed to be the front-runners. The 22-year-old is reportedly set to decide on his new club next week.

Photo: Action Images

Photo: Action Images

SheffieldBlue1 added 01:04 - May 11 Sounds decent enough, really can't give much comment as this is the first i've ever heard of the lad. But boy oh boy is anyone else gettin' sick of Leeds being linked with all our targets.
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Garv added 01:05 - May 11 Need a right footer not a lefty!
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davekl12 added 01:07 - May 11 Get this lad in! My Dundee United loyalist mates say this lad is quality.
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rosseden added 01:10 - May 11 Last year leicester buying all our targets. This year its dirty Leeds. You'd think they'd have learnt from leicesters mistakes really. . . . . . This guy is meant to be a good prospect. Fingers crossed he wants to come to us . . . .
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Michael11 added 01:25 - May 11 Sounds a bit like Tommy Smith being a left sided 21 year old centre half, could really do with a tall strong mid 20s right sider to go next to him but if he's got talent then snap him up!
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Upbeat~ added 04:46 - May 11 Seen this guy play this season, can't remember him particularly which is always a good sign. The opposition was dire though, truly truly poor. Makes you appreciate how overused that adjective is when you go to see a Dunfermline match that's for sure.
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readtheleaguetable added 05:26 - May 11 TannAdice, Phil
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bedsitfc added 06:06 - May 11 at that price i cant see it happening
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Len_Brennan added 06:31 - May 11 St. Ledger, Henderson, Keogh, Green & now Gunning - what's with us being linked with so many Irish players still? Understandable when Keane was in charge; maybe PJ has fond memories of a stag party in Dublin or something. Would still like to see St.Ledger come in of all those mentioned since January, I see Leicester are looking to add a new centre half & he wasn't in their starting XI towards the end of the season, so maybe a chance.

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Sindre94 added 06:53 - May 11 If hes "quality" then OK, give it a go
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weddings added 07:19 - May 11 Hes off to leeds then.....
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icetruckiller added 07:23 - May 11 Calling Leeds...Come and get him, he's all yours! 15+ players now we're apparently chasing and no-where near getting any of them. Just like last year again.
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blrmy added 07:40 - May 11 @icetruckiller, don't forget the majority of them are tabloid stories to fill paper on quiet news days, or whipped up by agents highlighting their players. "No truth in the news, and no news in the truth..."
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Pessimistic added 07:45 - May 11 So you think we are recruiting to many irish Len_Brennan and then you think we should go for St.Ledger... another Irishman!
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Pessimistic added 07:47 - May 11 I am sorry there Len_brennan I misread your comment. Please ignore the last post.
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bbkingsumday added 07:47 - May 11 Quick! panic! It's may the 11th and we haven't signed anyone. As for Leeds getting Ward it was inevitable after Pearce had joined them (they were always likely to join the same club) and let's remember neither of them really wanted to join us in the first place
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Quagmire added 08:00 - May 11 The sort of young hungry player we should be going for though price seems excessive.
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lawshallgirls added 08:16 - May 11 Has tommy smith signed a new contract yet are we all just asuming that he'll sign Could be a replacement sounds abit like him as Michael11 said earlier !!
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WeirdFishes added 08:24 - May 11 IPSWICH ARE LIVING THE DREAM
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Marcus added 08:29 - May 11 Sounds like Tommy isn't staying...
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Karlosfandangal added 08:35 - May 11 Another player linked Has Smith been offered a new contract or our they waiting till the summer
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eaii added 08:49 - May 11 Anything over a 100,000 transfer fee and he wont be coming here.
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buryblue77 added 09:31 - May 11 I see what you did there Phil, very good.........lol Alexharban, thanks for a change of direction in your ironic posts, a refreshing originality to them.... Don't know anything about this guy, but Marcussg, we need more CB's so we can't automatically assume it's because Smith is leaving.
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MaySixth added 09:41 - May 11 We got Stockdale when Leeds wanted him.
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DanLyles added 09:51 - May 11 I know the SPL isn't exactly the strongest league in the world, but to get into the Team of the Season ahead of the Old Firm boys is pretty impressive. The SPL is a very physical league and we need feisty no-nonsense young centre backs who strikers will be loath to play against. Gunning fits the bill. Him and Keogh are the type of players I like us being linked with, rather than prima donnas coming down from the Prem after having a few good seasons five years ago. Young and hungry, tenacious, and with player of thge year/team of the season credentials

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