Crystal Palace have again been linked with a move for Town striker Jon Stead. Earlier in the week, the Eagles were said to want the former Sheffield United and Sunderland man on loan, but now that the Football League have lifted their transfer embargo, a permanent deal could be on the cards.
According to one of this morning’s tabloids, Palace boss Neil Warnock, who signed Stead from Sunderland when he was Sheffield United manager, is reportedly ready to offer £300,000 for the 26-year-old.
Doncaster Rovers manager Sean O’Driscoll has also revealed his interest in Stead, although says wages may be a problem for his club.
On Friday, Town boss Roy Keane confirmed that the Blues had turned down a bid for a player, which may well have been an offer from either the Eagles or Rovers for Stead.
Elsewhere, one paper claims Connor Wickham is a target of Sunderland boss Steve Bruce, although the report appears purely speculative. Wickham, 16, is unable to sign a professional contract with the Blues until his 17th birthday in March, but the club have always been confident that the youngster is not interested in moving on to a Premier League side at this early stage of his career.
Meanwhile, Town have put in a planning application for a vinyl sign bearing Sir Bobby Robson’s name to be placed across the back of the North Stand along with an image of the legendary Blues boss. The stand is due to be renamed in Robson’s honour at the Newcastle game on September 26th.
Two Marcus Evans Group logos on each end of the stand are also included in the application.