Blues boss Roy Keane has confirmed that Alex Bruce, Owen Garvan and Jon Stead missed last night’s game at Bury to continue talks with Leeds United, Crystal Palace and Blackpool respectively. The Town manager says he is hopeful he will complete the signing of Sunderland keeper Márton Fülöp.
Fees have been agreed for the potentially outgoing trio and Keane says that the completion of the moves is down to the individuals involved: "That’s up to the players. Alex is talking to Leeds, Garvs has been talking to Palace, Jon Stead’s been speaking to a club today, Blackpool, but there’s another club as well.
"We gave them permission to speak to the clubs and it’s up to them to agree. I’m not really up to date on if they’ve signed or agreed anything.”
Last week the Town manager mentioned a potential loan signing, who he revealed was Black Cats keeper Fülöp with a permanent £750,000 deal having subsequently been agreed between the clubs.
Keane says that despite reports, the move could still go through with negotiations with his former team-mate Steve Bruce having been ongoing for some while: "We’ve been in talks, obviously Brucey mentioned it last week. I think I’ve spoken to Brucey more than my wife over the last month. I don’t think he’s too pleased with that and I’m certainly not.
"It’s dragging its heels a little, but it’ll come to a head in the next 24 or 48 hours. You’re always hopeful but you have to be wary until the player signs on the dotted line, but we have other targets, Brucey knows that.
”I think Márton wants to come, but the negotiations have to be done and sometimes these things take their time.”
Keane says the move for the Hungarian international is no comment on his current glovesmen: "I have to say I’m pleased with the two keepers we have, but I’ve always said we need three goalkeepers because we had a disaster last season with injuries and loan players coming in and out. I used five keepers last year and I certainly don’t want to be doing that again this year.
"Márton is one of two targets I have in mind and we’ll see over the next few days how things pan out. I have to say it changes by the hour, not by the day, by the hour.”
Keane has also dismissed reports linking the Blues with former Liverpool and Fulham defender Steve Finnan: "No, no news of Steve Finnan. We’ve got Jaime Peters, we’ve got Jack Ainsley, right-back is not an issue for me.
"We’re looking at the goalkeeper, we needed a left-back, it depends what happens with Garvs over the next few days whether we need another midfielder, and we’ve always said we might be looking at a striker, particularly if Steady goes and with Lisbie going to Millwall on loan."