Town are targeting Notts County’s attacking midfielder Alan Judge. The 23-year-old Irishman won the Magpies’ Players' Player of the Year and Fans' Player of the Year awards during a 2011/12 campaign in which they narrowly missed out on the League One play-offs.
Dubliner Judge started his career with Blackburn but made his first team debut against the Blues while on loan at Plymouth Argyle in January 2009, a game which ended 0-0, having made two cup appearances for Rovers.
The former Irish U21 international spent two temporary spells at Home Park, where he played under Town legend Paul Mariner, before moving to Meadow Lane initially on loan in August 2010. He made the switch permanent the following January for an undisclosed fee when he signed a deal until the summer of 2013.
Judge plays mainly in wide roles but can operate all across the midfield and up front. Since joining Notts County he has made 64 starts and five sub appearances, scoring nine goals, eight of them last season. Championship scouts were reportedly regular visitors to Meadow Lane to catch him in action towards the end of the 2011/12 campaign as the Magpies finished seventh on goal difference.
His diminutive stature, he’s 5ft 6½in tall, energetic style of play and long-range goals have led Magpies fans to don T-shirts bearing the legend ‘The Irish Messi' in his honour.
Last week, County manager Keith Curle said his club had started negotiations with Judge regarding a new contract, however, with interest from Championship clubs such as the Blues, the £600,000-rated midfielder would appear unlikely to commit to new terms with the League One side.
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