Wigan’s Chris Kirkland and free agent former Portsmouth midfielder Michael Brown are the latest players to be linked with the Blues by this morning’s tabloids. Town are also said to have renewed their interest in Doncaster’s James Coppinger, while there are the now regular stories claiming Sunderland have made a bid for Connor Wickham.

With Márton Fülöp looking likely to leave Portman Road this summer Turkish side Bursaspor's interest having become known earlier in the week, it was perhaps inevitable that Kirkland, who played under Paul Jewell and Chris Hutchings for the Latics, would be linked.

The 30-year-old, whose career has been blighted by injury problems, is unlikely to be the first choice at the DW Stadium next season having made only four appearances for Roberto Martinez’s side during 2010/11, in addition to a short spell on loan at Leicester which included the infamous snow match at Portman Road.

Capped once by England at full level, Kirkland started his career with Coventry before moving on to Liverpool for £6 million in August 2001.

The 6ft 4in tall keeper failed to establish himself at Anfield and spent time out on loan at West Brom and Wigan before joining Jewell’s club permanently in October 2006 for an undisclosed fee.

Having established himself as the first choice keeper over a number of years, Kirkland lost his place to Ali Al-Habsi early last season. The Barwell-born keeper is contracted to Wigan until the summer of 2012.

Michael Brown has been rumoured to be a Town target for a few weeks now, having left Portsmouth at the end of the season, with one of this morning’s papers claiming the Blues have offered him a one-year deal.

The combative 34-year-old started his career with Joe Royle’s Manchester City, spending time out on loan with hometown club Hartlepool, Portsmouth and Sheffield United while at Maine Road, before joining the Blades permanently in January 2000 for £400,000.

It was at Bramall Lane that the 5ft 7in tall midfielder made his name prior to a January 2004 move to Spurs.

After two years at White Hart Lane, Brown joined Fulham, then in July 2007 current Town coach Chris Hutchings took him to Wigan and in August 2009 the midfielder signed on at Pompey.

The Blues are also said to have offered Doncaster £400,000 for James Coppinger, an increase of £100,000 on the earlier offer which was turned down along with a bid for striker Billy Sharp.

Last week Paul Jewell confirmed that he would continue to target the 30-year-old, who is a former Exeter team-mate of Town coach Sean McCarthy. The Grecians are entitled to 15% of any profit Doncaster make on the £35,000 they paid the Devon club for Coppinger in 2004.

Today’s Connor Wickham story repeats earlier claims that Sunderland have triggered a bidding war by making a £9 million offer with Liverpool, Newcastle, Spurs and Arsenal also all in the battle to sign the 18-year-old, who could win his fourth England U21 cap tonight when Stuart Pearce’s side take on the Czech Republic in their final group game at the UEFA European Championship in Denmark (Sky Sports One/HD1 7.30pm).

Town are said to have targeted a fee of £12 million for the striker, who is contracted to the Blues until June 2014. Wickham has also been included in The Guardian's list of Europe's top 50 summer transfer targets.

Elsewhere, Nathan Ellington, who is understood to have been the player who held talks with Paul Jewell at Portman Road last Monday, has tweeted that he isn't returning to loan club Preston for the new season: “Won't be going back to Deepdale, I'm afraid. Things were bit complicated for the club which meant it couldn't happen.”

Ellington, who like Kirkland played for Jewell at Wigan, is a free agent having been released by Watford at the end of the season.

Photo: Action Images

fussysnake added 12:37 - Jun 19 well lets get them in!!
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BrettenhamBlue added 12:58 - Jun 19 Kirkland has suffered a lot of injuries the last couple of years. If we bring him in I would fully expect us to sign ANOTHER goalkeeper as well (otherwise we could end up with Alan B-L in goal for most of the season). Murphy is gone- I would assume that Kirkland would be his replacement rather than Fulop's. Michael Brown would be a good signing but we can't expect him to play every match and stay fit. Would need to be rotated due to his age. Coppinger would be a good signing but lets not bust the bank on him. In 2 years time we will get next to nothing for him. Would much rather seeing us going in for the "Bennetts and De Laet's" (future superstars) than players who are coming to the end of their careers. Saying that- we BADLY need numbers and any boost is a good boost.....at the moment we can barely put out a first 11........

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Keaneish added 13:06 - Jun 19 thetruth - ssshhh... If you're going to take amphetamines you need to learn to deal with the come downs! We don't want to hear negativity pre-season when we're signing and be linked with some quality for once!!
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Dissboyitfc added 13:16 - Jun 19 If kirkland can stay fit, then why not? i would welcome him. Dont understand the brown signing, portsmouth dont want him and they take norris, we want to move forward not backwards. Coppinger sounds more enticing . COYB
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WadzillaBhoy added 13:17 - Jun 19 not Kirkland please
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WeirdFishes added 13:42 - Jun 19 sign em up
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TractorCam added 13:43 - Jun 19 Kirkland would be interesting
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suffolk_punch added 14:16 - Jun 19 Hope this is just not another papertalk story , if we are indeed after these 3 then it would be great . YES PLEASE
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OrkneyBlue added 14:20 - Jun 19 Like most, concerns over Kirklands ability to be a bit of an injury sponge however if fit he is a good keeper. I would say worth a risk, after all, all transfers are a risk to a certain extent so if we can keep him injury free then he would be an asset too us and if he's on the physios table more than often then like another post said I'm sure we'll be after another keeper anyway as two are on the way out. Brown not that bothered about, Coppinger would seem like a good deal at £400k and Ellington on a free, well I'm 50-50 to be honest all depends how much PJ can get out of him.

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taylor15 added 14:41 - Jun 19 no, not brown! please not brown - he is well past it!!!!
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DiamondGezzer added 14:44 - Jun 19 The only one I personally would immediately embrase as a good signing would be Coppinger. The others, I would reserve judgement on. Having said that, I don't pick the team.
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Infineteregress added 14:46 - Jun 19 I'd rather keep Fulop over Kirkland, although granted the latter has got plenty of top flight experience. His injury track record would be a big concern though. Haven't seen enough of Brown to judge his ability, but he's not exactly getting any younger. Could be a good mentor for Hyam I guess. Coppinger is the best of the bunch in my view. For £400k he could end up supplying a lot of Chopra and Wickham's goals next season.

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oddball added 14:51 - Jun 19 Positive news if true, would sign all three, good signing all of them>
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Trickster added 14:56 - Jun 19 Well said Keaneish. Sign Coppinger Up please!!!
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John added 15:03 - Jun 19 Get 11 -12 mill for Connor this would fund purchase of Maynard and Bullard. If not Bullard have a punt at Lansbury.
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Keaneish added 15:11 - Jun 19 Good Shout on Maynard John. According to wikipedia it looks as though his contract is up at City end of this season as well. Going to cost 2 - 3 mil though.
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TractorRoyNo1 added 15:18 - Jun 19 so what happened to 'ambition'? at least we used to by rejects from Sunderland who are a biggish club, now we seem to be linked with every over 30 who used to play for Wigan
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TractorRoyNo1 added 15:22 - Jun 19 3rd division quality sadly Keaneish added 13:06 - Jun 19 and be linked with some quality for once!!
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Keaneish added 15:26 - Jun 19 3rd Division!? What era you in!? You think Coppinger, Kirkland and Brown wouldn't bring more quality to our squad? Nothing wrong with being over 30! We've been lacking some decent experience through the spine of our team for some time now. I'd sooner Bullard than Brown any day but that's not going to happen. Brown knows the Championship inside out so i'd take him on a year's contract if he's free.

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Surco72 added 15:36 - Jun 19 All three would be good solid signings for this league ,Brown could do the job Derry did for the Hoops last season with Hyam for back up . Kirkland if fit is good all round and dominating in the area Coppinger could provide a lot of balls for Chopra For a combined signing fee of around £400,000 for Kirkland,Brown,Coppinger and Ellington which we may get back from Fulop sale seems good squad business to me .Keep going Mr Jewell And Karlosfandgol ... Brown played every game for Pompey last season until a clause in his contract meant they had to give him a large cash payment which they could not afford to do ,the same as David James .

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smelliott added 15:39 - Jun 19 http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11688_6996456,00.html
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Blue_Fred added 16:44 - Jun 19 I thought the idea behind signing Coppinger was to supply his 'mate' Sharp with the ammunition - if so now that we have Chopra why are we not going in for Whittingham??
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broomfield123 added 16:51 - Jun 19 Id take st ledger,pearce,kirkland plus 1 other play maker kind of midfielder whos young and a young decent forward.Sell fulop,priskin and scotland and if there is any change in the kitty then wait till january sale
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h32 added 17:06 - Jun 19 ...... looks like 'dad's army' will be on parade come August. But then, what else can be expected with PJ seemingly wanting to go in this direction - with no apparent interest in younger, keener players, it's the only option I guess.
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Lightningboy added 17:29 - Jun 19 Kirkland would potentially be a great signing - if fit. Brown's a bit past it but better than what we have at the mo' I guess...think we can do better than that tbh.
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