Town boss Mick McCarthy has played down reports that his former Wolves striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake is close to joining the Blues, but doesn’t rule out a future move for the 27-year-old, a free agent following his summer release from Molineux.
The one-time Manchester United trainee is currently sidelined having suffered a broken leg and ankle ligament damage during the latter stages of last season.
McCarthy, who was the manager who took Ebanks-Blake from Plymouth to Wolves for a fee of £1.5 million in January 2008, says he’s made no approach for the striker, although he has been in contact with him.
"I spoke to Sylvan a few weeks ago to see what he was doing,” he said. "I rang him up while I was in the car and had nothing else to do, I was driving home.
"He’s waiting until he’s fully fit. He had a really nasty injury and I rang to see how he was doing and to encourage him, that’s all. He’s not coming here.
"I’d love him to, don’t get me wrong. If I could, I would, if he was fit and we could do it, I’d have him here tomorrow. But that’s not the case.”
Asked whether the money side of a potential deal was a factor, he said the matter wasn’t talked about: "I’ve never discussed budget because he’s not doing anything until he’s fit. There’ll come a time, I’m sure when he has to [decide].
"He’s getting his treatment at Wolves at the moment. The problem is that when he gets fit I don’t think anyone at Wolves is going to give him any game time.
"Contractually they’ve got to get players who are injured and then come out of contract fit and ready to play, but there’s nothing in that to say they have to play them anywhere.
"So, he has to get some game time. Who knows where he will end up? If I can get him down here, I will, but it’s not been about money, it’s not been about whether he wants to come, he’s not ready to. And do you know what? There’ll be a helluva a lot of takers when Sylvan’s fit.”
He added: "Sylvan was a great signing for me. If I could sign him when he’s fit, I would. But let me tell you, the rest of the Championship, the other 23 clubs would be saying exactly the same. And some of the Premier League, I would have thought.”
McCarthy says his history with the Cambridge-born frontman could potentially be in Town’s favour when it comes to any future approach: "Yes, it would, all things being equal, depending on where we are in the league, how many points we’ve got, what’s happening. Of course it would because I’ve got a good relationship with him.
"If I hadn’t I wouldn’t pick the phone up and ring him. But, as you’ve seen with Hunty, I’ve got a good relationship with all the players that I’ve ever worked with. Well, there might be one or two, but that cuts both ways, of course! But in the main, I’ve got a good relationship with them.”