Town are being linked with a move for Hartlepool midfielder Tommy Miller. Miller, a former Town trainee, has been the star of Hartlepool's last two years, scoring 37 goals in that time. Miller left Town at the age of 15 as he was thought too small to make it.
It is understood that Miller is not the young Third Division player Town targeted a month or so ago. These latest reports suggest Miller may be the player that George Burley is looking to as a replacement for Hassan Kachloul.
A fee of £1 million over the long-term is reported to be the figure that Town will offer for 22-year-old Miller who played in the same young sides at Portman Road as Kieron Dyer.
Miller is currently in Norway training with Brann Bergen, but has ruled out a permanent move: "I want to play in England. Coming to Norway to train with Brann is a great learning experience and something that can only help my game. But I love playing English football and that's where I see my future. It's flattering when you are linked with top clubs, but until Hartlepool accept a bid then I will just concentrate on my football. I want to play at the top level and go as far as I can in the game. If you don't want to do that then you shouldn't be in football."
It seems Miller will find his way into the top Division one way or another. Whether Town will be the club he does it with remains to be seen.
Town have offered professional contracts to three of last season's FA Youth Cup stars. Darren Bent, Darren Ambrose and Matt Bloomfield have joined Erdum Artun, Robert Dickinson and Lee Beevers as proper paid-up footballers.
Darren Bent said of his call-up: "I am very pleased to get my first contract. My mum and dad anre very pleased for me too. I have just had my best season ever."
The young striker has already set himself targets for next season: "To play regularly in the reserves is the main objective and maybe get a chance on the first-team bench. It's an exciting time."
Matt Bloomfield, whose elder brother Danny unfortunately pays for Norwich, was also pleased with his new deal: "I am absolutely delighted to have signed for the club I have supported since I was a boy. It is a dream come true to sign a contract and I am looking forward to hopefully, one day, playing for the first team."
Sounds like a top man! Meanwhile more details are emerging about Chris Hogg, the 16-year-old signed from York yesterday. Paul Goddard said of the deal: "The boy approached us really, but we certainly knew about his reputation. Everything has been done above board and in the right and proper manner. He felt that he needed to get to a bigger club with a larger youth system and spent a bit of time at Manchester United. He also had talks at his home town club of Middlesbrough and this was followed by a look at other Premiership clubs. The situation at Middlesbrough was a bit uncertain from a managerial aspect at the time and he didn’t think this would be the best move for him. He came to us and played in some practice games towards the end of last season. We’re delighted that he’s joining us. And the fact that he wants to do so shows how far we have come."
York don't seem too unhappy with the deal, their chairman Douglas Craig saying that the move would "give the boy a fantastic opportunity to further his career."
The initial fee of £50,000 will grow to a six-figure sum as Hogg progresses at Town.
Goddard says Hogg is a born leader: "Chris is a very strong boy and he reads the game so well. He coped comfortably with the game at England schools’ international level. His leadership qualities are so high that he was given honour of captaining them."