Town boss Paul Jewell is said to want Liverpool youngsters such as midfielder Jonjo Shelvey as part of a deal to sell striker Connor Wickham, according to a tabloid report this morning. However, the Reds face competition from Sunderland, who were linked with a move for the 18-year-old yesterday.

The Black Cats are said to have made an £8 million offer for Wickham, which would eventually rise to £12 million on the usual appearance and achievement clauses.

Liverpool were previously reported to have made a bid at the same level but this is now said not to be the case, although an offer from the Merseysiders appears to be very much on the cards.

Blues manager Jewell, a Liverpool player as a youngster, is said to be willing to do a deal for Wickham and is believed to be keen on bringing some of his former club's current younger players to Portman Road if the Hereford-born frontman ends up at Anfield, including midfielder Jonjo Shelvey on loan for the season.

England U19 international Shelvey, 19, joined Liverpool from Charlton for an initial £1.7 million in April 2010 and since then has made four Carling Cup starts plus 15 sub appearances in the Premier League and a further two games from the bench in other cup competitions.

The 6ft tall Romford-born player was previously linked with Town in July 2009 when with the Addicks.

Wickham himself would appear more likely to join Liverpool, the team he supported as a boy, than Sunderland with Jewell saying in March that the England U21 international would only be interested in moving to one of the Premier League’s bigger clubs.

Wickham signed a contract tying him to the Blues until 2014 earlier in the year but with that deal believed to include a clause which would mean the one-time Reading academy schoolboy would be allowed to talk to clubs if an offer came in at a set level understood to be somewhere around the £10 million to £15 million mark.

Having suffered a minor ankle knock in training with the England U21s in Denmark on Thursday which saw him miss Friday's session as a precaution, Wickham will be hoping to win his fourth cap at that level on Sunday when Stuart Pearce’s side take on Spain in their opening group game in Viborg (Sky Sports One/HD1 4.30pm).

The English youngsters, of whom Wickham is the most junior and the only outfield player from a Championship club, subsequently face Ukraine next Wednesday and the Czech Republic on the following Sunday.

Photo: Action Images

trueblue1970 added 09:14 - Jun 11 Would hope if he goes it will be for more than 8m
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RetroBlue added 09:17 - Jun 11 I still dont think Connor will be going anywhere this summer. LFC can reportedly "offer" all the inducements they like , Wickham is happy at Town and has said he wants to stay for now. We dont need to sell, and I suspect Chopra and Wickham will have some presence in the Championship this coming season.
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Ipswich24 added 09:18 - Jun 11 Only offer would accept at this moment in time is £15 million with loan back he needs one complete full season in championship with us, he was injured for 1st half last season and played out of position most of time. The last game of season at Leicester he was moved upfront for second half and Leicester's defence could not handle him. We will not loose anything if wait another season he will probably be worth more!!!!

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Bergholtblue added 09:18 - Jun 11 Would be excited at the prospect of Shelvey coming here, but as a permanent signing not a loanee. Shelvey + £5m, I would go for that.
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FriskinPriskin1 added 09:28 - Jun 11 Or he could go to Sunderland and we could loan some of their 'special' young players Jack Colback anyone????????????????
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streety86 added 09:33 - Jun 11 Anything around the 8-10 million for this club is big money considering we lost 10 million in the last tax year, sell for 10 loan back for a season sorted
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ITFC4daprem added 09:40 - Jun 11 great player sell for 10mil and both on loan or 6 and get jonjo pernemantly what about robinson or flamagon as well
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Chicago_Blue added 09:40 - Jun 11 I just think that if Henderson and Jones are worth £20m and £16m, then Wickham should be around £15m. I think we're selling ourselves short. If we go up we'd earn many times that £8m, and Wickam can help us do that. I know he's got no Prem experience but he's a striker, which usually adds a million or two onto a fee. I think £8m is too low ...and we should keep him.

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flashblue added 09:43 - Jun 11 8m is huge amount for Wickham. I think some of you lot are in cloud cuckoo land. 15m ain't gonna happen. Get real people.
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Chicago_Blue added 09:48 - Jun 11 £20m is huge for Henderson. This is 2011 - not 1991.
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TractorBoyOlly added 09:49 - Jun 11 Wickham will not go to Sunderland, he will only move to one of the bigger clubs and the offer must be over £10 Million. Words straight from the horses mouth!
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gypo added 09:49 - Jun 11 Hard to call this one i know we don't want to lose Connor but if a bid is accepted I would push for Jonjo as permanent and not loan two quality players here.
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clive_baker added 10:00 - Jun 11 £10 million with Conor Coady and Jonjo Shelvey on loan for the season and you've got a deal Kenny. You know it makes sense.
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pepperot123 added 10:04 - Jun 11 Want Connor to stay but if he wants to go to Liverpool we should not stand in his way. 10m + Shelvey & Pacheco on season long loans, the scum fans were raving about Pacheco when he played for them so would piss them off if we got him this season.
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flashblue added 10:05 - Jun 11 Chicago. Henderson has played 70 games in Prem. Wickham is unproven.
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Bluearmy71 added 10:39 - Jun 11 Fcuk that sh!t......no deal keep Connor at all costs and lets see him playing in the prem for us! No loans, no loaning back to us.......and if any team really does want him the get ya fingers out ya @rses and pay decent money the kind that reflects a price for one of England's brightest young talents. Come on Town don't get mugged off again ffs!
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blueherts added 10:53 - Jun 11 Liverpool have a bunch of good young English players - Wickham would be a natural addition for them , he is a Liverpool fan etc etc , I can see him going but if we get £10m plus JJ Shelvey ( LOAN DEAL - Be realistic)plus one of their good young defenders - Think be good business -
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62WasBest added 10:58 - Jun 11 Don't think Shelvey 1s a worthwhile replacement for Wickham from what I have seen of him. His finishing is woeful. I feel we should get another season from Connor at least. He'll be a better player for it I believe.
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jas0999 added 11:28 - Jun 11 If £10M is offered then I think Wickham will go.
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StowTractorBoy added 11:35 - Jun 11 If Connor wants to go then I hope the trigger clause is at least 10 million. At his age he needs to be playing football and he will not do that at Liverpool with only bit part appearances. Hopefully therefore he will stay or at least come back on a season long loan. JJ Shelvey not for me always looks a headless chicken to me but then its all about opinions.
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sixx added 11:41 - Jun 11 Not Shelvey, saw him at Charlton, thought he was bloody awful
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howdonblue added 12:03 - Jun 11 if jordan henderson is worth £20 million how can town sell conner for £8 mill... shelvey yes please what ive seen of him he is nowhere near the finished article at premier level, but would think he would be very very heandy at champ level... with a whickham loan back too please
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howdonblue added 12:10 - Jun 11 or handy even
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John_Portman added 12:21 - Jun 11 But Ipswich just wldnt be the same without Connor!!! :'(
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kerryblue added 12:25 - Jun 11 Totally agree with flashblue,Wickham will never be worth as much and we should cash in,he had a poor season last year and if he doesnt have a proliffic one next his value will halve.
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