Boss Mick McCarthy has sought to allay fears that the Blues could lose loanee Tom Lawrence in January with Derby, Norwich, Reading, Cardiff and Wigan all reported to be keen on the 23-year-old Leicester man. However, he admits that Town would have little chance of signing the Wales international on a permanent basis in the summer if the Championship’s bigger guns make moves in the summer.
Asked about the claims that Lawrence, one of the Blues' most impressive performers during the first half of the season, could move elsewhere in January, McCarthy said: "He’s here for the season, we took him on a season-long loan.”
But the Blues manager admitted that Town couldn’t compete in the summer if they were looking to sign Lawrence, who has 18 months left on his Foxes contract, on a permanent basis and some of the other clubs linked firmed up their reported interest.
"No, as simple as that,” he admitted. "They tell me that the three lads at Sheffield Wednesday up front are earning about 100 grand [a week] between the three of them. Well, that sort of level is not us, we’re not doing it.
"I think we all have to understand that. I’m the one that’s grasped that right from the very start.
"My mantra’s been the same, I know the terms and conditions, we get on with it. Sometimes it frustrates me, but then it gives me a great deal of pleasure when we go to Sheffield Wednesday and places like that and win.
"But if Derby, if Norwich, if other clubs are interested he won’t be coming here because they’ll pay a bigger transfer fee and he’ll get more money I’ve no doubt.”
Do Town need to start spending more money in order to compete? "It doesn’t always work, does it but you’ve a better chance. As Mr Burr, my first chairman [at Millwall], used to say when he wore his sheepskin gloves.
"Somebody asked whether it was superstition and he said, ‘Yes, of course it is, especially when it’s 25 degrees out’. They asked, ‘Did it work?’ and he said 'It tends to work better with a good team than it does with a bad team'.
"So, if you can get better players by spending money and giving them more wages, then quite clearly you’ll have a better team.
"But, as I’ve said, we’re not going to be going out and spending £2 million or £3 million and giving people £20,000 a week in wages.
"It’s not happening, so we have to get on with what we’ve got and do the best we can. And I’ve been particularly good at that over the years.”