Dundee United are reported to have quoted the Blues a fee of £900,000 for left-sided defender Gavin Gunning. Blues boss Paul Jewell and chief scout Steve McCall are said to have had the 21-year-old Irishman watched on at least three occasions recently, including last Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Celtic.
Dubliner Gunning played youth football with St Joseph’s Boys Club and Crumlin United before moving to England and joining the Blackburn Rovers Academy in 2006.
The 6ft 2in tall centre-half or left-back subsequently went out on loan to Tranmere, Rotherham, Bury and Motherwell — for whom he played and hit the bar in their 2010/11 3-0 Scottish Cup final defeat to Celtic — but failed to make a senior appearance for the Ewood Park club.
Last summer, the seven-times-capped Republic of Ireland U21 international negotiated his release from his contract at Blackburn and signed for Dundee United, turning down Aberdeen, former loan side Motherwell and Scunthorpe. Since moving to Tannidice he has made 33 starts and two sub appearances, scoring three goals, and was named in PFA Scotland's SPL Team of the Year.
Gunning, who is contracted to the Terrors until the summer of 2014, is set to miss this Sunday’s final game of the season at Motherwell due to a shoulder injury.
Meanwhile, Blues target Joel Ward is understood to have held talks with Leeds United on Wednesday. Four clubs are in the running for the versatile Portsmouth defender or midfielder with the Whites claimed to be the front-runners. The 22-year-old is reportedly set to decide on his new club next week.
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