Town are reported to be among a number of clubs showing interest in Preston North End central defender Jordan Storey.
According to the Lancashire Post, Sheffield Wednesday have made an approach regarding the 24-year-old, while Town and Sunderland have also made enquiries.
However, no one has yet been prepared to offer to pay a proportion of Storey’s wages which is acceptable to the Championship club.
Having been a regular for most of 2021, Storey has dropped out of favour over the last few months and has been on the bench for only one of new manager Ryan Lowe’s four matches in charge.
Yeovil-born Storey came through the youth ranks at Exeter City during which time he spent spells on loan at Bideford, Tiverton and Dorchester before joining Preston on a four-year deal. The 6ft 2in tall centre-half signed a new deal which runs to the summer of 2025 in September.
Following Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Bolton, manager Kieran McKenna was asked whether the Blues planned to sign anyone to replace Toto Nsiala, who joined Fleetwood last week.
"It’s one number that we’ve lost from that position,” the Blues boss considered. "We still have four in our current set-up.
"Janoi [Donacien] has been playing as a right centre-back, we have George [Edmundson], Luke [Woolfenden] and Cameron Burgess as well, so we’re not short of numbers as such.
"But it’s a position in terms of profile and qualities there might be something we look to add in the next couple of weeks possibly.”