Town are again being linked with a move for Derby County striker Rob Hulse. The 30-year-old was previously mentioned in connection with a move to Portman Road a fortnight ago when Wolves, Newcastle and Middlesbrough were all also said to be interested. Former loanee Giovani Dos Santos is also again said to be on Keane's wish-list
According to one of this morning’s tabloids, boss Roy Keane will look to ship out strike pair Tamás Priskin and Pablo Couñago in order to fund the move for the former Crewe frontman, who is rated at around the £2.5 million mark. Hulse is contracted to Derby until 2011.
Elsewhere, Tottenham midfielder Giovani Dos Santos is again linked with another loan move to the Blues, despite Keane saying that the Mexican international joining a Championship side was highly unlikely earlier in the week: "I only got to work with the boy for a week or two and my first impressions were that he’s a talented boy and that he shouldn’t be playing in the Championship.
"I think Harry [Redknapp] was going to give him a chance before he broke a couple of bones in his foot a couple of months ago.
"He’s got a lot to gain by playing games, but I’m sure he’ll have plenty of options, not just in the Championship, not just in the Premiership but maybe with other teams in Europe.
"It’s a big ask, I would very much doubt it, not that I want to be too negative about it, but it would be a tough one to pull off.”
Keane says he has kept in contact with Redknapp in recent months, presumably with Dos Santos not the only subject of their conversations, the Blues' boss having confirmed that he is targeting other Premier League players during January: "Gio’s a top player but I think Harry’s changed his number from the amount of times I keep ringing him. I’ve spoken to him enough over the last one or two months.
"A talented boy like Gio will I’m sure have plenty of options. He got here last year which was fantastic and did really well for the club and would change the dynamics of your team and your club.
"But it’s a big ask whether we can get him or not. There’s the financial side of it and I'm sure the boy will have plenty of options. You’ve got to ask yourself whether players at a Premiership club want to go to the Championship and if they do I’m sure they’d like to go to a team near the top.
"There are big hurdles for us to get over if we want to get one or two players in, as much as I’m confident when I get a chance to speak to the players that I can sell the club, but these players have got options and it’s going to be tough."