TWTD understands that Newcastle United are among the clubs keen on Blues striker David McGoldrick. As previously reported, Sheffield Wednesday are also one of a number of Championship sides keeping tabs on the 28-year-old, who is also interesting clubs abroad including FC Twente.
Like the Owls, the Magpies are set to monitor the Republic of Ireland international’s progress in the opening weeks of the season ahead of the transfer window’s closure at the end of the month.
Town are keen to keep hold of McGoldrick and are unlikely to be tempted by anything other than a very significant sum for the ex-Nottingham Forest man, having turned down a £7 million offer from Leicester in the summer of 2014.
Given McGoldrick’s fitness problems in the seasons since the Foxes’ bid, it’s understood that some interested clubs, including Newcastle, would prefer to pay a smaller initial loan fee - probably around the £1 million mark - with a view to handing over a larger figure if the move is a success and turned into a permanent switch.
Speaking last week, manager Mick McCarthy said that although he wasn’t aware of any specific interested parties, it would be no surprise to him if clubs were targeting McGoldrick, who is contracted to Town until the summer of 2018.
"Probably, I haven’t heard anything. If there isn’t any interest I’d be surprised, he’s a good player,” he said.
"To be fair to us, we’ve not seen the best of him over the last couple of seasons because of injury. So I’d like to see that this year with us. I don’t want to see him going anywhere else.
"But I’m damned sure there’s somebody interested in him, I don’t know who they are if that’s the case.”
At yesterday’s press conference, McCarthy said McGoldrick has been doing everything he can to catch his eye.
"If you’d have seen him training yesterday, I think he was trying to tell me something,” he said.
Having missed out on a place in the Irish Euro 2016 squad at the last, the chance to be involved in World Cup qualifiers and then perhaps the finals in two years’ time is a further incentive for McGoldrick during the new season.
"For sure," McCarthy continued. "Has Robbie Keane announced his retirement? I don’t know if he has! If he has, he’s been brilliant, if he hasn’t I’m sure he will at some stage.
"Didzy was close to going [to the Euros] anyway and there are going to be positions. We all know the squad will change. Somebody will get injured, Ireland will have different players because of circumstances, it’ll happen.
"So he wants to get in the team. He was desperate to go to the European Championships and if he can think he can get to the World Cup, that would be great for him.”