The Blues have offered midfielder Liam Trotter to Cork City in the latest instalment of the protracted negotiations aimed at making George O'Callaghan a Town player. Trotter has only recently returned from a half-season loan spell at Millwall where he made one start and two sub appearances.

Town have made a number of offers for the 27-year-old, all of which have been refused by the Eircom League side, the last believed to be in the region of £80,000.

Whether Trotter, who signed his first professional contract last August, is being offered on a permanent basis or on loan is not clear but he is understood to be part of a new cash-plus-player bid. Trotter's one Town appearance came as a sub at Plymouth on the final day of last season.

Town are keen to sign O'Callaghan on loan with a view to his permanent signing when his Cork contract expires in November.

If Trotter does move to Cork, he will join former Blue Cathal Lordan, who signed for his home town club last May having been released by Town. Trotter and Lordan were both in the U18 side which won the 2005 FA Youth Cup.

O'Callaghan is expected to return to Cork for the start of pre-season training on Monday unless the clubs finally come to an agreement.

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