Blues boss Mick McCarthy has revealed he has spoken to Crystal Palace regarding keeper Bartosz Bialkowski and says he was told the Pole was one of around six on their list of potential January targets.
As reported yesterday, understand the Eagles are understood to be willing to pay Town’s asking price for Bialkowski, which is believed to be upwards of £4 million, with discussions between the clubs continuing.
McCarthy says that ultimately it will be down to owner Marcus Evans to accept a bid if the Premier League side, who he revealed are also eyeing other alternatives, make one.
"Can I just clear that up, it’s not stumping up the money that I think he’s worth, it’s stumping up the money that Marcus thinks he’s worth, it’s not my decision,” he said.
"I think it would be pretty restrictive what Marcus thinks he’s worth because we all think he’s a top, top goalkeeper.
"All that started because everybody knows Crystal Palace are in for a goalkeeper and I think every agent and his mother, brother and sister got involved and started putting names into Palace.
"I asked Palace, I rang them up. All that dancing around the handbags and wondering what’s going on is nonsense for me - just go and ask.
"He was on a list of six goalkeepers, I think it was six, he said, he was on a list of goalkeepers, it could have been six, could have been 10, as we all do. Somebody will have out him in there as one of the best in the Championship.
"That’s where we are. He was on a list. He may still be on it, he might not be, he might be in the bin.”
He added: "It’s down to them to make a bid, it’s down to them if they want to take him.”
And then, he says, it will be up to Evans to decide whether that offer is enough to tempt the Blues to part with their Player of the Year for the last two seasons.
"Nobody can buy my house without my say-so or me and the missus anyway. It’s no different,” the Blues boss added.
However, he admits that if an offer does come in from a top flight club it might be difficult to turn down in any case from the player’s perspective.
"The upshot of it is that Bart came here on a free transfer and he’s been wonderful,” he continued.
"And there is that side of it, if a bid came in that was acceptable, it’s almost like it would be unacceptable for him to continue playing in the Championship, if a certain bid was made and he wants to play in the Premier League, because everybody wants to be there.
"The promised land. I guess you would all like to report on the Premier League football and do radio shows on it.”
Bialkowski, who is contracted to the Blues until the end of the season with the club having an option for a further year, joined Town from Notts County on a free transfer in the summer of 2014 but with the League Two side entitled to a percentage of the fee if he is sold.