Town boss Paul Jewell has revealed that striker Connor Wickham has extended his Blues contract until 2014. The England U21 international turned 18 last week, allowing him to sign a longer term deal, his previous contract having taken him up to 2013.
Jewell said: "He’s extended it to 2014, which is good, but it won’t stop the speculation. It means that we’re committed to Connor and he’s committed to us.
"It’s good news. An awful lot’s spoken about Connor, he’s such a young lad and I’m very keen to keep a lot of speculation and a lot of talk away from him.
"But, he’s done terrifically well, he’s got a lot to learn and hopefully he can learn a lot here, produce the goods and get to where he wants to be with us. That would be utopia.”
However, the Town manager is well aware that Wickham’s latest deal won’t stop the speculation about his future and won’t necessarily ensure he remains at Portman Road: "Every player has a price, but I’m not looking to sell Connor Wickham and I don’t think Connor Wickham’s looking to leave.
"If someone came in with a silly offer and he wanted to go, we’d have to listen to it. But that would be the same for any player. "
Wickham has been linked with all the top Premier League clubs since joining the Blues from Reading as an academy schoolboy after his serviceman father was posted to Colchester.
Tottenham are widely understood to be the club most keen to sign him in the summer, although manager Harry Redknapp has played down his interest in the £10 million-rated frontman in recent weeks.