Town boss Paul Hurst has confirmed the Blues tried to sign AFC Wimbledon skipper Deji Oshilaja in the closing hours of the transfer window on Thursday and says he is currently undecided whether Andre Dozzell will be sent out on loan, although he has spoken to Tristan Nydam about potentially going out for a spell.
"We were interested but a deal couldn’t be done,” Hurst said regarding centre-half Oshilaja, who was the player TWTD reported the Blues boss was looking to make his 10th summer signing in the couple of hours between his Thursday press conference and the window closing.
"We felt the valuation was too high for a player that’s available on a free contract in January and while for some people it’s easy to say, ‘Just pay whatever it takes’ you’ve got to feel like a fair deal has been agreed and we didn’t feel that was the case.”
Could it be a deal he resurrects on loan? "We’ll see, I’m not sure whether a loan deal would be happening there. But let’s see what these next weeks bring.”
Asked whether he is going to send Dozzell out on loan, he said: "No, I had a chat with Andre.. I say no, I’ll explain the situation.
"He’s still nowhere near where he needs to be realistically. We did some testing with him yesterday and we’ve got to make a decision what’s best for him, whether it is to go out and try and get some games.
"But we had a conversation among the staff and people in a better place than me to comment on the physicality side of it - if he does go out, is he going to give himself the best chance of impressing?
"What I don’t want is Andre to get even more frustrated and disappointed because I don’t think he’s really in the position to really do himself full justice as yet.
"At moments, yes. I explained it, and he’s a lot better than I am, but it’s like me joining in training. I might do one or two things that are alright but I can’t go out there and play.
"But Andre, like the pass against West Ham, he can do some things, but is it fair and is he really going to be at his best?
"He’s a very, very talented player who should have a very big future for the football club. I’ve got a duty of care for him now as his manager and we want to make the best decision for Andre moving forward.”
So as it stands he won’t be going out? "It’s in-between. We’ll probably have another discussion on that, but anyone that’s perhaps looking at it and shouting for Andre to be in the team will have to trust me, that’s not the best way forward for the player or us at the minute.”
Hurst says he has talked to Nydam, who along with Dozzell wasn’t in today’s squad, about going out on loan, while Flynn Downes would have travelled to Rotherham had he not been ill.
"I’ve spoken to Tristan and that’s something we’ve had a conversation about,” he said. "Flynn was in the squad but he was sick after training yesterday.
"We felt it was a virus, a bug so we didn’t want him travelling up with us. The plan was that if he was OK today to maybe travel up but he still hadn’t really eaten and the last thing I wanted was him in or around the group and ultimately I don’t think he would have been anywhere close to being at his best to be part of the squad.”