Swansea’s Alan Tate is understood to have been one of Town boss Paul Jewell’s central defensive targets but injuries at the Liberty Stadium mean the 30-year-old is now required by the Swans. The Blues manager has been repeatedly thwarted in his attempts to add to his two current centre-halves, Tommy Smith and Luke Chambers.
Easington-born Tate started his career with the Manchester United academy, spending time on loan at Royal Antwerp in 2001/02 before two temporary spells with Swansea.
Tate, who stands 6ft 1in tall and is contracted until the summer of 2015, joined the Swans permanently in 2004 and since then has played for them in every division from League Two to the Premier League at the centre of the defence, full-back, occasionally in midfield and on a couple of occasions even as an emergency keeper.
Having been the club’s Player of the Year in 2009/10, he missed much of the last campaign after breaking a leg in a bizarre golf buggy accident when his leg was caught between the buggy and a tree.
His chances this season looked likely to be limited but he has come back into the picture due to former Arsenal man Kyle Bartley suffering a thigh injury, full-back Neil Taylor being ruled out for the season with an ankle injury sustained a fortnight ago and Garry Monk sidelined with a back problem.
Speaking on Thursday, Blues boss Paul Jewell said a deal to sign an unnamed target was all but done until another player at his club suffered an injury: "We had one lined up where we were going to buy him but the injury came and I understand the manager’s point of view.
"We agreed a fee, the personal terms wouldn’t have been a problem, the injury happened and that was aborted.”
Meanwhile, Sunderland's Fraizer Campbell has been linked with a loan move to the Championship with the Blues, Hull City, Burnley and Huddersfield all said to be interested.
Town are unlikely to be in the market for the 25-year-old England international striker or winger with adding centre-halves very much the priority.