Town are still the frontrunners to sign Derby striker Steve Davies, according to reports in the East Midlands. Davies has been linked with a move to the Blues since May, having been made available for transfer by the Rams due to what manager Nigel Clough called "a genuine family reason", despite having another year left on his Pride Park contract.
A number of clubs are believed to be interested in the 24-year-old but Town are still considered the favourites to land the man that Blues boss Paul Jewell brought to Derby from Tranmere during his time in charge of the Rams.
The clubs are said to have talked but are still to agree on a fee for the 6ft 1in tall, who we understand is amongst Jewell’s top summer targets, alongside former Nottingham Forest centre-half Luke Chambers, who we understand is expected at Portman Road on Monday to sign a three-year deal.
Previously, Davies was reported to have confirmed that the Blues were one of the clubs chasing him, while one unofficial Derby website has been claiming that the Liverpool-born frontman would join Town since early May.
Perhaps notably, Davies has recently started following Town pair Aaron Cresswell and Nathan Ellington on Twitter having previously briefly followed a Blues-related site's account. Davies will know Ellington from the Blues striker’s loan spell at Pride Park, while Cresswell is another former Tranmere player.
Last month, claims that Derby had rebuffed a £500,000 Blues offer, naming their price at £1 million, were dismissed, however, it’s likely that Town would have to pay something approaching that sort of figure to get their man.
Davies recently confirmed that he would definitely be leaving Derby this summer to join an undecided club in the south on Twitter.
Jewell brought Davies from Tranmere to Derby in June 2008 for a fee which could have risen as high as £725,000 had various clauses been triggered.
Injuries - including a fractured skull last October - have limited him to only 55 starts and 39 sub appearances in his four years with Derby, in which time he has scored 23 goals, 12 of them during 2011/12.
When Davies was first mentioned in connection with the Blues in May, Bristol City were also said to be interested, along with Leeds, whose location would now appear to rule them out of the running.
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