Town defender Alex Bruce is being linked with a January move to East Anglian rivals Norwich City. Fellow Championship sides Preston and Burnley are also reported to be interested in the 24-year-old, whose contract with the Blues is up in June.

Bruce, who was born in Norwich during his father's spell with the Canaries, looks set to leave the Blues in January with contract talks believed to have broken down. Town are keen to get a fee for the Republic of Ireland international, who has rarely been involved this season, with the one-time Blackburn trainee able to move on a free transfer next summer.

Over the weekend, Italian sides Fiorentina, Genoa and Napoli were all reported to be keeping an eye on the ex-Birmingham man with the Viola believed to be most interested. Republic of Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni is understood to have recommended Bruce to the three Serie A sides.

Meanwhile, the Blues are said to have denied Irish reports earlier in the week which claimed that former Drogheda defender Graham Gartland had been offered a Town contract.

However, the club have confirmed that talks are ongoing with the 25-year-old Irish B international, who recently left Eircom Premier League champions Drogheda due to their financial problems and is a free agent.

TWTD was first to break the news that Gartland spent time training with the Blues a fortnight ago.

Elsewhere in this morning's tabloids, Sunderland are claimed to be keeping an eye on midfielder Owen Garvan. The Irishman signed a new Town contract until 2011 in the summer.

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