Sunderland boss Steve Bruce says he’s not sure whether Grant Leadbitter and Carlos Edwards will complete their switch to the Blues before the transfer window closes on Tuesday. Elsewhere, Town are linked with a number of other players in Sunday’s tabloids.
Bruce said after the Black Cats’ 1-0 defeat to Stoke that the moves are in the balance: "Whether anything will happen before Tuesday we are not quite sure."
The clubs have agreed a fee for the pair and both players were in talks regarding personal terms at Portman Road on Thursday.
Wages are the sticking point with the duo likely to have to take significant drops in pay to move to the Championship and would almost certainly want Sunderland to settle the remaining time on their deals at the Stadium of Light. Edwards is contracted until June 2010 and Leadbitter until 2011.
If no permanent deal is done, the clubs could arrange loans, either before Tuesday or when the emergency loan window opens the following week. Edwards is due to join up with the Trinidad and Tobago squad in San Pedro Sula, Honduras early this week ahead of their World Cup qualifier with the Central Americans next Saturday.
Elsewhere, Town boss Roy Keane is said to be chasing Celtic central defender Darren O’Dea. The 22-year-old was previously linked with the Blues in October last year by the Scottish press when the club dismissed the reports.
Keane targeted another Celtic central defender earlier in the week, skipper Stephen McManus, who decided against making the move south after the clubs had agreed a loan deal.
O’Dea is reported to have been on Keane’s radar all summer and the Blues boss is said to be ready to pay �£1 million for his services before Tuesday.
The 6ft 1in tall defender has made only one start and two sub appearances for Tony Mowbray’s side this season. Overall, he has started just 31 matches since making his Bhoys debut in 2006, in addition to 14 sub appearances. He has scored five goals.
Formerly the skipper of the Irish U21s and U19s, the Dubliner came through the ranks at Celtic having played youth football at the famous Home Park club alongside Owen Garvan, Shane Supple and Michael Synnott and where Garvan's father is a coach.
Last season, left-sided O'Dea was a team-mate of skipper Alex Bruce in an Irish fringe side which played Nottingham Forest, with Garvan also involved in the game.
The defender is currently contracted to Celtic until 2010 with an option of a further year.
Town are also said to be after veteran Birmingham midfielder Lee Carsley, although the 35-year-old is believed to be unwilling to uproot his family from the Midlands. In any case the former Derby, Blackburn, Coventry and Everton man was in the Birmingham side which lost to Spurs yesterday and appears to be in Alex McLeish’s plans.