Doncaster striker Billy Sharp will not be amongst the players Town boss Paul Jewell will be targeting during the January transfer window. The Blues manager, who had a £2.3 million offer for Sharp rebuffed in the summer, says the £3 million required to trigger a clause in the 25-year-old frontman’s contract is too rich for Town.

Jewell said: “We obviously went for Billy in the summer and for whatever reason it didn’t happen, but at that price it’s definitely out of our price range.”

The Liverpudlian says he’s not aware quite how much he’ll have to spend as he looks to strengthen his squad in January — owner Marcus Evans and chief executive Simon Clegg tending to look at individual deals on their merits rather than having a set budget — but feels few Championship clubs will pay out that sort of cash for one player: “I don’t know what the pot is but I don’t think there are many Championship clubs who are going to pay £3 million.

“West Ham bought Kevin Nolan for £5 million but other than that I don’t know what the biggest transfer in the Championship was last summer, but certainly £3 million is well out of our league.”

In the summer, Southampton had a £3.25 million offer for Sharp accepted by Rovers but the player turned down the move. The Saints, Wigan, Leicester, Cardiff and Burnley are amongst the clubs said to be targeting the former Sheffield United man in January.

Jewell was unaware that Bristol City had made striker Nicky Maynard available for transfer with the 25-year-old out of contract in the summer and having turned down a new contract: “Maynard’s a good striker at this level, that’s proven. He might be one like Shane Long where a lot of Premier League clubs are interested.

“When you’re up against Premier League teams for a player, it’s very, very difficult for Championship teams to compete because of the money, let’s be honest. And players want to go to the Premiership.”

Meanwhile, former Blues boss Jim Magilton has been linked with the vacant manager’s job at Hartlepool United.

Magilton has reportedly missed out on the same role with Northern Ireland with Michael O’Neill, to whom the ex-Town skipper is currently assistant at Shamrock Rovers, apparently set to be named as Nigel Worthington’s successor.

Photo: Action Images

Photo: Action Images

jas0999 added 15:15 - Dec 23 After a Summer of mainly loans and freebies, this news is no shock. PJ will probably look for more injury prone has-beens; it's really up his street. he has wasted so much money on massive contracts for has beens (Bullard, Ingermarsson, Ellington and Bowyer); it is little wonder there is little left. A hungry up and coming manager, who would spend time building a team for the future would have been a much better option than PJ. Could he have been worse? And we could actually see progress/identify with the long term plan. PJ has brought us one up front football (first 8 months), golden oldie has-beens and loans (who probably won't be hear next year let alone after that) and the worst run of results since 1994/5 (when at least we were in the PL). Sorry, but I simply can't see how this guy has improved us!! Anyway, agree with others - PJ failed to address the CB position in the Summer window and must urgenty add some permanent CB's to the squad. We can not rely on just Sonko.

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itfchorry added 15:53 - Dec 23 Great post HowdonBlue Major Clegg you are a Major Disaster Clegg Out
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darren_cox added 15:53 - Dec 23 This window is always difficult to bring in quality. But lets see if all the scouting Paul Jewell and his team will pay off.
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ITFC4daprem added 16:09 - Dec 23 shame
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TractorMan added 16:09 - Dec 23 I'd say this is for one player, never proven beyond Lower championship level too much. We have higher priorities and money is there for the right player, just Sharp is not worth a £5m plus investment (when you include wages)
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itfc1981 added 16:10 - Dec 23 Jewell ignorant of Maynard, might as well have a go myself.
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alfromcol added 16:34 - Dec 23 What a negative lot u lot are. You would pick the negatives out of anything that PJ is reported to have said. How the hell can you call yourselves supporters of ITFC?? If indeed you are! All PJ is saying is that we won't be paying £3m + for Sharp. All seems very sensible to me.
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broomfield123 added 16:40 - Dec 23 Good. Along wirh rhodes let's put this to bed and move on. Its extremly boring now when you always hear about these 2
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piersmorganisatool added 16:45 - Dec 23 3 million for this guy is madness, Doncaster are really out on a limb on this one i'm afraid, i think they will end up letting him go for less one way or another at some future point in time. as for us? well all have to understand where we are at, we are now bit part players at this level now, i was full of hope at the beginning of the season, i'll settle for survival now as i believe we will have a fight on our hands. 4 years ago it seemed we had the world at our feet, now it's starting to look like a desperate era for the club, we seem to have lost direction and drive. i think we all target Clegg as the root of our back room problems, but a successful man like ME would move him on if he wasn't doing his bidding, Clegg is doing just that i.e what Mr Evans wants him to do. Premiership football is some years away from returning to portman road i'm afraid.

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oldelsworthyfan added 16:58 - Dec 23 Sounds like we're buying him then!
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MattinLondon added 17:10 - Dec 23 Jas0999 is an idiot
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MattinLondon added 17:12 - Dec 23 Jas0999 is an idiot
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TractorTrog added 17:34 - Dec 23 Come on lads n lasses its not that bad right now we got aways to go we do have some good players believe me when scouts come to watch Ipswich for other clubs they are busy scrbbling down like crazy who does what and how were not a walk over team right us off at your peril is the motto we should be singing we have however had some sort of hodoo put on us what with Keane and then PJ having to think of right formations trying probing every aspect to find out if we can indeed play some differnt more attacking football give the bloke his due he wants to be succesful and have all the pludets too as our luck has been out with some Reffing and other officals getting it wrong as well...on top of our luck we have had some really poor performances I was there at Nottingham not much to cheer you up with a cold as well bit I think the team are playing positivly right now Liecester will be a huge test of courage and gaul if they pull that one off will you start please to give the team the support they deserve...but I do understand why fans and supporters are feeling angry but we have to give it our best shot in the New Year playoffs seem a dream away but we could pull it off...sending out positive waves to you all and have a great great Christmas COYB !!!

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Lesta_Tractor added 18:05 - Dec 23 good, id rather we signed a centre back, right back and a defensive midfielder
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meekreech added 18:14 - Dec 23 Mattinlondon Please do not insult idiots jas does not even come up to that level !
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tractorboy2434 added 18:17 - Dec 23 I understand that Tamas Priskin and Mark Fish are available, what a joke this club is, be interesting to see how many turn up for Forest game after 2 more defeats at Leicester and Reading.
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bluearmy4life added 18:20 - Dec 23 I do hope we have decent funds available massive transfer window for the club this season. Talk of the play-offs is way off.
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manualthetisfanclub added 19:20 - Dec 23 after having bid for sharp in the summer before he got chopra he has since spent(wasted!!!!) his budget on over the hill veterans,loanees and JET,so he was never gonna bid £3 mil on sharp as he aint got that sort of money.seems more loanees is his only option in jan to try keep us in this division as playoffs totally beyond us now!!
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TimmyH added 19:30 - Dec 23 Many correct posts on here...work on the defence first of all then look at midfield/strikers in the summer, probably a write off as regards to our play-off chances this season so let's start building now!
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Tractastic added 20:02 - Dec 23 Sounds like PJ is already lining up the excuses for another under achieving season. A tough run of matches, Collins gone and Andrews about to leave, no right back , an injury prone ageing defence,no inform goal scorer and a team without a leader. Yep PJ and Clegg have done really well this year in building for the future. We appreciate you stabilising the club ME but please put in place a management team who know something about football otherwise we are going nowhere. Happy Christmas!!

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fourth added 20:26 - Dec 23 The Cobbold/Ramsey direct management/financing is lost. No three-way relationship is easy and should be avoided
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RegencyBlue added 20:40 - Dec 23 Out of the race to sign Sharp? We were never in it. Just more 'spin' out of PR to make fans think there is something happening when in fact it will be more of the same - loan signings and has beens.
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stu_ward27 added 20:51 - Dec 23 @MarcusSg I did mean 1 or 2 centre backs but never mind lol anyway half a centre back would still be better than tommy smith or damien delaney......
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broomfield123 added 21:00 - Dec 23 Cheer up the birth of jesus christ is upon us. We must be thankful that we have what we have in the UK and we don't live somewhere where there is decease and starvation all around and all we moan about is a poxy football club. I wish people will appreciate what we have got. Merry christmas and god bless you all. Could you all just take a moment and thank god that you can even have a meal let alone enjoy the luxury of affording to go and watch a game of footy. Rant over and please sit down for a moment and think what I've mentioned. We are all blessed in so many was so stop moaning you lit

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airliner added 22:02 - Dec 23 please not rhodes again hes not that good
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