Blues target Sammie Szmodics continues to train with Blackburn Rovers, despite the forward having been left out of the Ewood Park club’s side for their 1-1 friendly draw at Wigan at the weekend.
Town and Rovers are understood to be inching towards an agreement after protracted negotiations going back more than a fortnight.
Szmodics’s omission from the squad facing the Latics on Saturday signalled speculation that a conclusion was imminent, but it appears the deal is still to be done with Sky Sports reporting that the 28-year-old is still training with the Championship side.
Following Saturday’s game, Rovers boss John Eustace outlined the position to the Lancashire Telegraph.
"There has been interest from clubs and they're talking again,” he said. "It's the same sort of situation. I don't know if he'll stay or go, I am just coaching the team.
"It's nothing to do with me. I want him to stay. The two clubs are talking, there was no point risking him. He's a very fit lad and a good player so we'll see how that develops.”
An offer of an initial £8 million plus a further £2 million is currently on the table with various bids having been rebuffed by the Lancastrians since the £6 million TWTD revealed earlier in the month.
Born in Colchester, Szmodics, a player we understand the Blues have eyed in the last couple of windows, came through the youth ranks with the U’s before breaking into their first team in 2013 prior to a spell on loan in non-league with Braintree.
A move to Bristol City, where Blues CEO Mark Ashton was then in charge, followed in 2019, prior to a switch to Peterborough, initially on loan, before he joined Blackburn in August 2022. Posh are believed to have included a sell-on clause in that deal.
Last season, the forward was top scorer in the Championship with 27 goals, leading to his first international call-ups with the Republic of Ireland. He has now won four full caps.