Boss Paul Lambert has confirmed Bolton Wanderers’ interest in Town centre-half Toto Nsiala, TWTD having revealed that the Trotters were in for the 27-year-old on Wednesday, but played down reports that the Blues are eyeing AFC Fylde striker Danny Rowe and Newcastle right-back Jamie Sterry.
"I know there’s interest from them,” Lambert said when asked about Nsiala. "Toto I think has had a little bit of a hard time and a little bit of confidence [go] against him.
"But effort-wise I’ve never ever questioned that at all, he’s always given me everything he’s had. I just think for his own head, for clearing his head that maybe if something can happen, then it might happen.”
Lambert added that the move will be a loan with the centre-half’s situation looked at again in the summer.
Meanwhile, Lambert says Jordan Roberts, who joined Gillingham on loan yesterday, needed to move out to play football.
"I think it was important for Jordan to get games,” he said. "Sometimes the dressing room needs a shake-up if you can do it and I think it was important for Jordan to get games.”
Winger Anthony Georgiou returned to Tottenham at the end of his half-season loan at the turn of the year and Lambert says the return to fitness of Teddy Bishop and Freddie Sears came into the decision not to renew the Cypriot international’s spell.
"I think it was only fair on Anthony,” he continued. "He did well when he initially came in, but we thought with Bish and Freddie coming back, who are our own players, [we'd end his time here], that was in our thinking.
"With those two coming back we were OK in that situation and Anthony’s game time was getting lower, so we decided it was probably better to go back to Tottenham.”
However, with winger Danny Rowe currently out having undergone knee surgery, Lambert says he’s not entirely ruling out adding another winger in January.
"If we can get somebody," he said. "As I’ve said before we can’t just go out and buy anybody the way the finances are, but that’s football, it’s all part and parcel of it. If not, we have to looking or see if one of the younger ones can do it.”
Asked about 23-year-old Newcastle right-back Sterry, who was linked with the Blues and Luton earlier in the week, Lambert said: "I’ve not heard that one, no.”
Pressed on whether right-back might be an area he is looking for cover with Kane Vincent-Young out until the end of February having undergone groin surgery and Janoi Donacien having recently also been out with a dead leg, he added: "I think if it’s going to benefit the team then I’ll look at it, whether it’s right-back or wherever. But that lad there, I’m not so sure about.”
Lambert dismissed claims his presence at last Sunday’s Sheffield United-AFC Fylde FA Cup tie was due to interest in the National League side’s striker Danny Rowe.
"No, I know the lad you’re talking about, it made me laugh when I heard his name,” Lambert joked.
"No, I was at Sheffield United just because I wanted to watch a game. It was nothing to do with [him]. One Danny Rowe’s enough, I think!”