Town are reported to have made a new bid for Preston North End centre-half Sean St Ledger. The Blues had an £1.5 million offer for the Republic of Ireland international turned down by the now-relegated Lilywhites in January.
Then, Town boss Paul Jewell was disappointed that Preston chairman Maurice Lindsay made the offer public.
The Blues manager knows Lindsay well from their time as Wigan Athletic manager and Wigan Warriors rugby league club chairman respectively, Jewell revealing that the £2.5 million Town had been quoted by the Lilywhites was £1 million more than Lindsay had told him they were targeting when he had spoken to him a few months before he knew he was taking over at Portman Road.
It’s little surprise that the Blues have made a renewed move for St Ledger with Gareth McAuley having joined West Brom on a Bosman earlier this summer. Sunderland’s Nyron Nosworthy is another centre-half who has been interesting Jewell, while released Reading veteran Ivar Ingimarsson was also linked earlier in the week.
St Ledger, 26, came through the youth system at Peterborough United during which time he went on loan to Stevenage Borough.
After making the breakthrough at Posh, the Birmingham-born defender joined Preston in July 2006 for a fee of £225,000.
Having impressed at Deepdale, St Ledger joined Middlesbrough on loan at the start of 2009/10. The short-term spell was expected to turn into a £4 million permanent switch but the 5ft 11in tall defender failed to settle in the North-East and returned to Preston.
Capped 19 times at full level, having scored two goals, St Ledger has another year remaining on his Preston contract but seems certain to leave Deepdale this summer after their drop into League One.
St Ledger, who is also believed to be interesting other Championship clubs, and Preston team-mate and fellow Blues target Keith Treacy have now returned from international duty with Ireland, both featuring in yesterday’s 2-0 victory over Italy.
A move for left winger Treacy was previously reported to be on the cards on his return, while we understand that the Blues are expecting news of Cardiff’s response to their recent £1 million offer for striker Michael Chopra in the next few days with increasing speculation that the bid is likely to be successful.