Boss Paul Jewell has revealed that ex-Manchester United keeper Tomasz Kuszczak was at Town for talks earlier in the summer before opting to join Brighton, who he believes offered the 30-year-old Polish international “a fantastic deal”. As TWTD reported in April, Kuszczak was top of Jewell’s wish-list as he looks to bring in a new number one for the season ahead.
Jewell said: "I met him here. I had Tomasz Kuszczak here. But I think Brighton offered him a fantastic deal, it was as simple as that.
"I spoke to him, but you have to work within your framework. I don’t know why he went, I would imagine he got a good deal and Brighton is a good club.”
He says players will look at the various options which are on the table rather than taking the first offer they receive: "I spoke to him in my office. He was impressed with the place and everything, but at the end of the day we aren’t a club that can just get a player in and not expect him to leave without signing.”
Bosnian-born former Swiss international Eldin Jakupović is currently on trial but Jewell says he could also add another keeper to his ranks even if the 27-year-old impresses: "We’re having a look at him for the week, but we’ve also got two or three other targets that even if that happens we might pursue.”
He says he’s not ruling out bringing in a player from the lower leagues, although we understand there is nothing in links with former Colchester keeper Ben Williams.
Jewell says he wanted a number one who was plying his trade in the lower leagues last season but who has become rather more familiar in recent months: "If I thought that goalkeeper was the right one then absolutely.
"There are a lot of decent goalkeepers in the lower leagues. Look at Jack Butland. He was on loan at Cheltenham last year and now he’s in the England squad.
"We tried to get him here last year but he was at Cheltenham. He’s been around and now all of a sudden [Birmingham] want £6 million for him. There are good goalkeepers down there.”
Meanwhile, US international keeper Brad Guzan, who was linked with the Blues in March is set to re-sign at Aston Villa having previously decided to leave the Premier League side.
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