Stoke City are again chasing Town target Dean Whitehead, according to national newspaper reports this morning. Whitehead, who the Potters were linked with last summer, is one of two Sunderland players manager Roy Keane wants to add to his Blues squad.

Town agreed a fee of £5 million for Whitehead and Irish international striker Daryl Murphy with Keane's former club last week, with the midfielder believed to make up the greater part of that valuation as his previous side Oxford United are due a 25% sell-on.

The duo are believed to have spoken to the Blues at the end of last week with one report this morning claiming that Whitehead was offered the captaincy at Portman Road. Rumours on Wearside over the weekend claimed Whitehead was set to turn down the move to the Blues.

On Sunday, Hull City were reported to have made a move for Murphy, although Tigers manager Phil Brown has refused to confirm the proposed deal: "Joe Ledley, Ross McCormack [both Cardiff] and Daryl Murphy are all names who have been bandied around, but it is important that we do our business behind the scenes.

"We've got a couple of medicals that will hopefully be successful this week and I've also got open dialogue with a number of players."

Elsewhere, former Blue Shefki Kuqi has agreed to join German second division side TuS Koblenz. The Finnish international will join up with his brother Njazi, a one-time Town trialist, who already plays for the club.

Ex-academy striker Kieran Leabon is on trial at Blue Square Premier club Histon and was in their side which beat West Brom 1-0 in a friendly on Saturday. Leabon was released by Boston United at the end of last season.

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