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Chievo Striker Bogdani And Nugent Linked - Ipswich Town News

Town are interested in signing Chievo Verona striker Erjon Bogdani, according to reports in Italy this morning. More locally, the Blues are claimed to have renewed their interest in Portsmouth's David Nugent.

Albanian international Bogdani is unwanted by his club having spent last season on loan with Livorno, who were subsequently relegated.

Bogdani, 31, started his career with Partizani Tirana in his home country, with whom he spent four years between 1994 and 1998 prior to a switch to Turkish side Gençlerbirliği.

The 6ft 3in tall frontman was with the Turks for one year before joining NK Zagreb in Croatia, where he spent five seasons.

A move to Italy and Reggina followed in 2003, the Tirana-born frontman spending two years with the club but going on loan spells at Salernitana and Hellas Verona. In 2005 he moved on to Siena, joining Chievo two years later.

Capped 44 times by his country, scoring eight goals, Bogdani's most prolific goalscoring period in Italian football came during his spell in Serie B with Hellas Verona in 2004/05 when he netted 17 times in 38 games. Aside from that season, Bogdani's goalscoring has been nearer to one in four games and is more of a second striker than an out and out 20-goal-a-season man. Last season while on loan at Livorno he scored just twice in 15 matches.

Bogdani looks to be a frontman in a similar mould to previous targets Angelos Charisteas, Shola Ameobi and Kyle Lafferty and may well be the latest player brought to Jim Magilton's attention by new international scout Simon Hunt.

Meanwhile, Portsmouth's David Nugent is claimed to be back on Magilton's radar, the striker having decided against a loan move to Portman Road earlier in the year.

The ex-Preston man angered the Blues manager after failing to get back to him after the clubs had agreed the terms of the move. The Town boss said back in March: "Portsmouth have been very good about this, but we've spoken to the player and we haven't had a response.

"So David Nugent can go and play for whoever he wants now. The very least we deserve is a phone call or something to suggest he's not available."

The 23-year-old scored the winning goal as Portsmouth knocked the Blues out of the FA Cup in January and regularly hit the net for Preston against Town during his time at Deepdale.

Pompey are known to be willing to allow Nugent to move on with Stoke City previously linked.

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