The Blues are understood to be heading the race for out-of-contract Luton Town skipper Sonny Bradley.
Rumours regarding Blues interest in the 29-year-old began circulating on social media yesterday and now the EADT is reporting that Town are currently the frontrunners to sign Bradley, who has been a key man for the Championship Hatters over the last three seasons.
Bradley started his career with hometown club Hull City and while a Tigers player spent time on loan at Harrogate, IK Frej in Sweden and Aldershot before moving on to Portsmouth in 2013 - prior to Paul Cook’s time at Fratton Park - having made only one start and one sub appearance while at the KCOM Stadium.
After one season at Pompey, 6ft 5in tall Bradley moved on to Crawley, where he spent two years prior to another two campaigns at Plymouth Argyle.
In 2018 left-sided Bradley joined Luton, then in League One, on a free transfer, signing a three-year deal which is up this summer. He helped them to promotion in his first season and has been one of their top performers in the second tier in the last two campaigns.
The Hatters have held talks regarding a new contract, while fellow Championship side Preston North End were linked earlier in the year.
As previously reported, Town boss Paul Cook is looking to assemble a squad of Championship standard players this summer and will be looking for a number of central defenders.
Skipper Luke Chambers and Player of the Year James Wilson were among those released, while the Blues took up the one-year option on Toto Nsiala’s deal. However, it’s understood that was in order to achieve a fee for the former Shrewsbury man, while Luke Woolfenden, who is in contract until 2024 with the club having an option for a further season, is another who has been told he can find a new club.
As revealed on Monday, former loanee Callum Connolly is among Cook’s central defensive targets with the 23-year-old having confirmed his Everton departure earlier in the week.
Town may struggle to compete with Championship clubs when it comes to wages this summer with League One’s SCMP Financial Fair Play rules limiting sides to spending 60 per cent of their turnover on wages.