TWTD understands Town are targeting out-of-contract Bury winger Danny Mayor
The 28-year-old is understood to be assessing his options with his Shakers contract up on Sunday and no new offer on the table due to the Lancashire club’s current financial situation.
Yesterday he spent time looking around at League Two Plymouth Argyle, who are managed by his former Shakers boss Ryan Lowe and a number of other clubs are also interested in addition to the Blues and Pilgrims, with his former loan club Tranmere having been linked. He is reportedly due to look at another club today.
Mayor says he is deeply saddened that his time at Bury is coming to an end in the manner that it is.
"When a bid comes in and you leave to further your career, that’s one thing, but I’ve had to leave because the club’s given me no option,” he told the Bury Times.
"They haven’t offered me a deal, they don’t look like they’re going to, and they don’t look like they want to pay any of the players. It’s a mess. I’ve loved it there so it’s a sad way to end. I’m devastated.”
He added: "I’ve left it as long as I could, hoping to speak to the club and get it sorted, but I’ve heard nothing.
"Everyone knows I’ve just had a kid, it’s close to home and I love the club so it would’ve been perfect for me.
"But it’s got to the point where I have to start looking after myself because I haven’t been paid for three months.
"It’s a job and I’ve got to start earning wages to pay for my family. Teams are going back for pre-season now so I’ve got to look for a club and look forward to next season.”
Primarily a left-sided winger, a position Town have been looking to strengthen all summer, Mayor can also operate on the other flank and in the centre.
Mayor joined local club Preston aged nine and progressed into their first team having spent time on loan at Tranmere as a youngster.
In 2012 Mayor moved on to Sheffield Wednesday but failed to make an impact with the Owls, starting only one game and appearing a further eight times from the bench.
The Leyland-born wideman joined Southend, on loan in February 2013, then joined Bury on a similar basis for the following season.
That switch was made a permanent deal in the summer of 2014 and Mayor has been a key man at Gigg Lane in the last few seasons, helping the Shakers to second place in League Two and promotion last season during which he netted 12 goals.
Mayor was the EFL’s League Two Player of the Year in 2014/15 when he was also named in the PFA Team of the Year.
Last season he was nominated for the EFL League Two Player of the Year but lost out to new Blues signing James Norwood, however, he was named in the League Two Team of the Year and his strike against Grimsby was nominated for the EFL's Goal of the Season award having been named Goal of the Month for September.
In his six years with Bury, including his loan season, Mayor made 212 starts and 22 sub appearances, scoring 36 goals.
Elsewhere, Conor Washington, 27, who was linked with the Blues following his release by Sheffield United earlier in the summer, is reportedly close to joining Hearts.
Ex-Blues right-back Elliott Hewitt, 25, has joined League Two Grimsby Town on a two-year deal having left Notts County following their relegation to the National League.