Boss Kieran McKenna says he hopes Town can get their January transfer business done early in the window, while keeping tight-lipped on Middlesbrough midfielder Massimo Luongo, who TWTD revealed yesterday is training with the Blues, and other targets such as Peterborough’s Jack Taylor.
Former Blues loanee Luongo joined up with the squad earlier in the week with his short-term Middlesbrough contract up in January and unlikely to be renewed with the Australian having not featured for a single minute since joining the Teessiders in the summer and having only been on the bench twice.
Quizzed on the situation, McKenna felt it wasn’t right to comment given the 30-year-old is still officially with Boro, who are managed by his friend and former Manchester United colleague Michael Carrick.
"He’s been with us for the last few days,” he said. "I think in general the policy always has to be to respect the other clubs. Massimo Luongo is a Middlesbrough player, is contracted with Middlesbrough.
"Of course, we have a good relationship with Middlesbrough and I know Massimo as well, so that’s been useful over the last few days, but he’s a Middlesbrough player and at the moment his future is contracted with them and is still in their hands.
"I think regarding that and any other speculation, I don’t think it’s fair and right [to talk about] players who are under contract with other clubs.”
Regarding when his Boro contract might be up, he added: "I think that’s for Middlesbrough to make that decision and then announce that decision and due course.”
McKenna says he knows Luongo from their time at the Tottenham academy: "When I was the youth team coach he was one of the U23 players, he was out on loan at that time.”
In addition to Luongo, the Blues have also made an enquiry for Peterborough’s Jack Taylor, while Brighton's Republic of Ireland international striker Evan Ferguson is another player the Blues have been keeping a close eye on.
McKenna says Town’s aim is to get players in the door soon after the window opens: "We’re really trying, that’s been the idea all along. I think we have six games in January in total, so having the best squad available for those games is an advantage for the rest of the season.
"We want to get our business done as early as possible. We’ve been preparing as well as we can but a lot of things are out of your control, in any transfer window that’s the case, especially in a transfer window where there’s been a World Cup and a winter break for teams in the top two divisions above you.
"That creates a lot more uncertainty in the market and within the decision making of clubs.
"We really want to do our business early in the window, but that’s not under our control, so we’ll work as hard and as prudently as we can and if we’re going to make additions, the earlier in January that we can would be better, of course.”
He says with matches and preparations for January, it's been a hectic period.
"It’s been busy," McKenna continued. "It is a busy time of the year. We’re busy on all fronts, of course. It's very important that we get our work in here and are working really hard with the players in the building to be ready for a really important run of games coming up.
"Important that we’re recovering players from injury and building them up, so they can contribute and, of course, we’re looking at how we can improve the squad in January as all the teams will be.
"So, it’s been busy on all fronts, but it’s important that we do that work and we follow the right processes to make sure we’re making as many good decisions as we can to give us the best chance to be successful in the second half of the season.”