Blues manager Paul Hurst’s former club Shrewsbury have revealed they have turned down a joint-bid for central defender Toto Nsiala and midfielder Jon Nolan from an unnamed Championship club, who we understand are Town, with the duo subsequently handing in transfer requests.
A statement on the Shrewsbury official site reads: "Shrewsbury Town yesterday received an offer for both Jon Nolan and Toto Nsiala from a Championship club.
"Town do not need to sell Jon and Toto and have made it clear that we do not want to sell the players.
"The Championship club made an offer for both players via text yesterday but this was below Town’s valuation for the players.
"Today both Jon and Toto have handed in transfer requests to the club. We will of course keep our fans updated with any further developments should they occur.”
A Blues move for Nsiala and Nolan has been anticipated since Hurst took over at Portman Road with both key players in his Shrewsbury side which reached the League One play-offs last season.
The pair, who are both 26, were initially recruited by Hurst during his time as Grimsby manager from elsewhere in non-league, having previously been with the Everton academy.
Nolan is contracted to the Shrews until the summer of 2020 and Nsiala until 2019.
Following his spell at Everton, Huyton-born Nolan spent time with Stockport County, Lincoln City and Wrexham (loan) before joining Hurst's Grimsby in January 2016 before moving on to Chesterfield that summer. A year later Hurst took him to Shrewsbury.
Nsiala, a DR Congo international born in Kinshasa, spent time on loan at Macclesfield and Accrington while with Everton before a spell with TDCS Dong Thap in Vietnam.
NOLAN & NSIALA: Town have received bids for Jon Nolan and Toto Nsiala from one unnamed @SkyBetChamp club, offer was turned down but both players have handed in transfer requests #salop #BlueAmberArrmy
> https://t.co/Jy4hMBlwK0 pic.twitter.com/4ZPq7IYAJR– Shrewsbury Town Official (@shrewsweb) August 1, 2018
After returning to the UK, Nsiala, who was brought up in Liverpool from the age of 10 after a period living in Paris, joined Southport before playing for Hurst at Grimsby between 2014 and 2016. After half a season at Hartlepool he was reunited with his old boss at Shrewsbury in January 2017.
The Blues' move for Nsiala would suggest they have given up on their lengthy pursuit of Blackpool's Curtis Tilt with Town understood to have found the Tangerines, who were targeting £1 million for the former Wrexham man, intransigent and negotiations difficult going. The Blues were understood to have upped their offer to £700,000 within the last few days.
Tilt, 26, is believed to have handed in a transfer request in order to push his club into doing the deal but Town would now appear to have moved on.