Boss Mick McCarthy says he has potential targets in mind should he lose highly-rated left-back Aaron Cresswell or any other member of his squad to another club before the transfer window closes on Monday 2nd September.
McCarthy says managers always have possible replacements in mind: "You have to know where there might be a left-back or whatever it might be, a centre forward or a midfield player. Of course we do.
"We have scouting systems in place and we’d have potential targets, whether to sign somebody or a loan deal.”
While the Blues boss says the club has received no offer from Crystal Palace for Cresswell, who is also believed to be interesting Everton, while Southampton, Fulham, Wigan and Blackburn have also been linked, he concedes that all players have their price.
However, if and when a bid comes in for Cresswell, or anyone else, he won't be the one weighing up whether to take it: "You’d have to speak to Marcus. He’ll be the one who decides whether the price is right, not me.
"But there’s not been a bid for him. We end up talking about Cressy and there’s not been a bid. It’s cock-eyed that.
"But if you’re asking me a generic question, of course you have to have people in place. However, the deal has to be right for everybody as well.”
McCarthy ponders whether Cresswell would accept the sort of terms which are likely to be on offer at Selhurst Park if the Eagles did make a move: "If anybody was going to Crystal Palace, if it was Cressy, I would have thought they’d be signing him with a relegation clause in it because that’s what teams do.
"He might see himself as better than that, he would want to go to a team that wouldn’t want that.
"It’s not as cut a dried as it seems, there are a lot of ifs, buts and maybes. And I haven’t heard a thing and I think Palace have got decent players at left-back anyway.”
He added: "Am I afraid of losing Cressy? No, because that’s what makes the football world go round. I certainly don’t want to, I can’t give him any higher praise, it would dent what we’re trying to do and I’d have to go and get somebody else.”