Town boss Paul Jewell has revealed that the Blues could make their first summer signing as soon as next week. The Town manager says the club has spent the last few months quietly working on recruiting the players he needs to make the Blues more competitive next season.

Jewell said: “There are deals going on where the owner is talking to other chairmen that we’re trying to keep as discreet as possible about. There are deals in the offing, shall we say.

“I would say that some aren’t a million miles away but my experience in football is that once you start saying a deal is done, something comes along and kicks you right in the nuts.

“You’ve got to be careful. I’d rather be sat here and say ‘listen, we’ve signed two players today, this, that and the other’ than say ‘I think it’s going to get done’ because as soon as you think it’s going to get done, something happens overnight. But we are very hopeful of maybe completing a deal next week.”

The Blues boss says Town securing their divisional status relatively early has meant that work on the summer transfer dealings could get under way sooner than might have been the case: “I don’t want into rush anything, but the beauty of what the lads have done this season is that we know we’re going to be a Championship team next year and we’ve been actively trying to do that for quite some time.

“These things take time. In my experience, if you can buy players with a clear head, it’s a lot easier than buying them in the transfer window when the clock’s ticking and you end up getting players for the wrong reasons.

“If we can get the players that we want, we’ve done our homework and it’s been a bit of a long process.”

Jewell says that process began the moment he arrived at the club in January: “The identification of where we need to be better for next season has been going on since we got here. Once you know where you need to improve, you go about trying to improve that with players, clubs and agents.

“We’ve been working really hard behind the scenes trying to put things in place to get people here for next season. For that to happen, you need a little bit of luck, you need to be a little bit ahead of the game in some aspects and have a good scouting system.

“We’ve got a lot of targets that we’re looking to bring in, we’re obviously not going to get all of them, but I think it’s important that the supporters know that we’re not thinking ‘we just need one or two players to have a chance of being better next season’.

“We need four or five quality players to go straight into that team on top of what we’ve already got.”

Photo: Action Images

Bluecynic added 08:27 - May 6 Sounds good to me- hope its not hot air. Whilst we all like to know who might come in there is a certain excitement in hearing that someone out of the blue has been signed.
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Legend added 08:28 - May 6 I have a good feeling about next season!
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trueblue1970 added 08:29 - May 6 Great news if true, get them in early so they can be part of pre-season training
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bedsitfc added 08:31 - May 6 Must be players who are out of contract this summer or relegated i.e st ledger, nugent, evens etc
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Tillz9 added 08:31 - May 6 Would make a nice change to get a couple of players in early. Fed up with bringing in the left overs at the end of August whilst watching other teams sign decent players all summer !!
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Tractorboy24 added 08:38 - May 6 “You've got to be careful. I'd rather be sat here and say ‘listen, we've signed two players today, this, that and the other' I make that 3 players, haha. Still good news, and transfer dealings coming out of the blue without on going speculation like previous summers. I can't wait until next season!
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itfc1981 added 08:38 - May 6 why say anything then, no comment is best
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streety86 added 08:41 - May 6 Bullard?
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streety86 added 08:42 - May 6 Also get the impression players will want to come and play for pj, got high hopes for the summer, just hope we get decent players in as early as possible
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BlueBoots added 08:50 - May 6 Right Back...Free Agent...Jewell knows him...Chimbonda That is all
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suffolkpoker added 08:55 - May 6 this is the way to do trnansfers, not leave it to the last minute. Keane never got anyone body in even close to preseason... was soo annoying!!
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blueherts added 09:07 - May 6 I think he would be a good addition - young striker with ability and I think would do a job for us - better than a 33yr old ex Prem striker - has alot to prove and I think we have a manager who can harness potential not kill it .... jewell has a good record at getting most out of players and lets be honest he inherited a right old group with us .. fresh start , fresh ideas - I know we are linked with all but lets be honest - CW is going fact .. so strikers are priority

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Matteo_Sereni added 09:08 - May 6 the owner speaking to chairmen bit is what worries me!
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jas0999 added 09:10 - May 6 suffolkpoker - I don't think it was Keane's fault in fairness. ITFC have for too long stalled on deals until later in the Summer, despite Jim and Roy both publicly saying they wanted to do deals early. The important thing though is we seem to have learnt our lesson. This is good news. Fingers crossed!
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Manchesterblue added 09:14 - May 6 Wasn't Drury his first signing Phil ?
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TractorMan added 09:18 - May 6 Bluebooks - Jewell won't sign Chimbonda as they fell out big tome at Wigan to the point he said he would never work with him again. Chimbonda handed in a written transfer request in the changing room after a game against Arsenal where they got to the Carling Cup final, so has no morals and is now too old and we certainly don't want him here!
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Surco72 added 09:26 - May 6 Jas0999 you never thought anything was Keanes fault !!! It was Keanes fault that he sold Rhodes,Haynes and Stead and replaced them with expensive panic buy flops Misskin,Scotland and Martin. Jewell is doing what Warnock and Lambert did last season getting his squad and potential new signings together early ready for the season
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WoodfordTim added 09:41 - May 6 A big thank you to Mr Marcus Evans for putting money ino the club. No proper commercial business is ever run like a football club. For Mr Evans it must be like backing 'Lucky Lady' in the 3.30 at Kempton Park. And shed loads of money going out of the club and the game generally through players' wages. Do hope it works out for the owner who is gambling with his money. And of course for us supporters, who so desperately want to be in the Premier League. Ideally to take Norwich's place this time next year.

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suffolkpoker added 09:46 - May 6 jas099 - i dont really agree, as PJ seems to be taking more of a active roll with transfers. It seemed very much that Keane and magic just found potenial "targets". I feel PJ is doing more than just this, i may be wrong... clearly clegg needs someone to hold his hand!
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itfcboi added 09:47 - May 6 Despite some fans already complaining about the rumoured signings I have complete faith in the man. We should all get behind the gaffer. Looking forward to next season already!
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suffolkpoker added 09:48 - May 6 when can we start signing players? I thought the transfer market opned in june? Unless PJ is talking about out of contract players...
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KenDubZ added 09:55 - May 6 Legend How many times do we say "I have a good feeling about next season!" LOL .... But I know what you mean ... I just hope he aint signing to old grandads and there going to be someone like Craig or Boyd :D
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petermorris added 10:01 - May 6 Spot on Surco.
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Ipswich24 added 10:12 - May 6 do believe we need big strong target man like a Grant Holt, or Shefki Kuqi or Rickie Lambert type we would be so much more of a force the ball actually sticking upfront instead of Scotland just being pushed off it. Personally would love to see Lambert and Nicky Maynard
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Ipswich24 added 10:15 - May 6 agree itfcboi lets give everyone a chance lets not knock them down before they have even kicked a ball for us
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