Town are set to make a move for Cardiff striker or winger Ross McCormack having given up their pursuit of Michael Chopra, according to reports in Wales this morning. The Blues are said to be offering former England U21 international frontman Jon Stead in exchange for the 23-year-old.
Boss Roy Keane has been tracking Chopra, who played for him at Sunderland, all summer but Cardiff have continued to rebuff Town’s offers. The Blues’ highest bid is reported to have been £2.5 million, the same as the figure Cardiff still owe the Black Cats on the £3 million fee agreed for the 26-year-old last year. The cash-strapped Bluebirds recently renegotiated a £1.5 million payment which was due to Sunderland next month with a further £1 million payable in a year’s time.
Glasgow-born McCormack started his career with Rangers and had a loan spell at Doncaster in 2006 before making a permanent switch to Motherwell two years later.
McCormack joined Cardiff for £125,000 in the summer of 2008 and had a hugely impressive first season, netting 23 goals, although missing a penalty in Town’s 3-0 win in Ninian Park’s last game, which was Roy Keane’s first match as manager of the Blues.
That summer Hull City were reported to have made a £3 million offer for the 5ft 9in tall Scotsman, but that fell below what was Cardiff’s valuation at the time. The player was reported to have made a transfer request and Portsmouth were also linked.
McCormack, who is contracted until 2013, is understood to be frustrated at Cardiff and was a sub in yesterday’s opening match 1-1 draw at home to Sheffield United.
Capped at U21 and B level in addition to his five full caps and one goal, McCormack would appear to be an ideal potential replacement for skipper Jon Walters, who is expected to move on to Stoke City or one of the other interested clubs sooner rather than later.
Despite his goal at Middlesbrough on Saturday, Stead was on the list of eight players Roy Keane was looking to move on this summer with fees previously having been agreed with Bristol City and Blackpool, those moves falling down due to the striker failing to agree personal terms.
On Thursday, Keane revealed that he had been speaking to Cardiff boss Dave Jones and suggested that Chopra wasn't the subject of their conversation: "I spoke to Dave Jones about other stuff. It’s not always about Michael Chopra, trust me.”