Town have had a £1 million offer for striker Ched Evans rebuffed by Sheffield United, according to reports this morning. The Wales international has been linked with the Blues on a number of occasions since May, most recently on Saturday.
The Blades, who were relegated to League One in May, are desperate to remove Evans’s £15,000-a-week salary from their wage bill and look set to make a significant loss on the £3 million fee they paid Manchester City for the 22-year-old’s services in the summer of 2009. However, it appears the Blues will have to offer more cash if they are to sign the Wales international.
Evans, who has also recently been mentioned in connection with Middlesbrough, Leicester and Cardiff, is understood not to have travelled with the rest of the Blades squad to their pre-season camp in Malta.
Elsewhere, Cardiff boss Malky Mackay is reported to have reiterated his desire to keep midfielder Peter Whittingham, who was linked with the Blues by Welsh sources over the weekend in the wake of the Blues’ offer for a winger being turned down.
Meanwhile, there’s been no news on whether Town will further their interest in veteran former Middlesbrough, Aston Villa, Coventry and Hull holding midfielder George Boateng. The Dutchman recently spent time training with the Blues and was set for a similar spell with Nottingham Forest last week.
Forest man Guy Moussi, who plays a similar role to the 35-year-old, was also a player interesting the Blues but the 26-year-old Frenchman has agreed a new deal with Steve McClaren's club.
Town’s senior players are in action in their first UK-based pre-season friendly this evening when they take on Blue Square Bet Premier side Cambridge United at the Abbey Stadium (KO 7.45pm).
Those that aren’t involved tonight are likely to be in the squad which faces Bury Town at Ram Meadow on Wednesday (KO 7.45pm).