On-loan midfielder Keith Andrews’s wage demands could scupper his January move away from Blackburn Rovers, according to one of this morning’s tabloids. The 31-year-old Irishman is said to want £22,000-a-week from the various interested parties.

Aston Villa are believed to be leading the race for Andrews, who is understood to be available on a free transfer with Blackburn keen to rid themselves of the remaining 18 months of his current contract, but are stalling due to his wage demands. Bolton, Swansea and Everton are similarly claimed to be reluctant.

Town boss Paul Jewell is keen to keep the Republic of Ireland international at Portman Road but a salary in that region would put the former MK Dons man amongst the Blues’ very top earners.

In the summer, Rovers produced a sales brochure which they sent to other clubs outlining the current wages of players they were looking to offload.

That document stated that Andrews’s Blackburn contract is worth £21,000-a-week plus a £2,000 payment for every game he plays.

The Dubliner’s wages rise by £5,000 after every five Premier League matches in which he is involved and he is also due an annual additional payment of £26,667.

Andrews's loan is up after Saturday's FA Cup tie at Hull City - with Rovers having given permission for him to play - but Town's nine-goal top scorer is unlikely to be involved at the KC Stadium due to the torn hamstring which is set to keep him out of action for around another month.

Elsewhere, Wolves are claimed to have been eyeing Daryl Murphy, who is on loan with the Blues from Celtic for the season.

Unless there is a specific clause in the loan deal regarding January offers from elsewhere, it would appear the Premier League side would have to wait until the summer before making a move if there is anything in the report.

Photo: Action Images

Photo: Action Images

Mark added 13:32 - Jan 1 A sickening amount of money for a player of such limited talent to be paid. This money comes from OUR pockets. I wanted to buy tickets for my family for tomorrow's game but they cost £34 each, or £36.50 on the day, so I didn't get them. The fans are being fleeced to pay these crazy wages. I really hope the new financial fair play rules do something to contain this. Forget Andrews. Invest in a Grade One acadamy instead, and look to sign players from the lower leagues and overseas.

0

stu_ward27 added 13:41 - Jan 1 What a ridiculous contract he wants - if that's what he signed at blackburn and other players there are on similar terms no wonder they are in financial trouble! anyway Ipswich shouldn't sign him permanently as his performances will drop off after the euros - might be better off signing him on a another half-season loan
0

BillBlue added 13:53 - Jan 1 Well it is the 1st January and the bulk of the posts on here are like a breath of fresh air. A serious majority are calling for young players from the lower leagues or, even more importantly, creating our own players from a Class One Academy and not one single post calling for Paul Jewell's head! Let us all hope this is the beginning of a rebirth of Town support. Happy New Year everyone.

0

pimballwizard added 14:04 - Jan 1 Whale oil beef hooked G.T.F .... U.F.C. Disgusting
0

icetruckiller added 14:17 - Jan 1 Everything that's wrong with football today. +1 with Dissboy's comments
0

h32 added 14:28 - Jan 1 'Is said to want' ........ PURE SPECULATIVE NONSENSE - YET AGAIN. But of course at his age, it has to be right for him as it is highly likely to be his last. That doesn't mean the player is being greedy at all. It's called REALISM.
0

h32 added 14:36 - Jan 1 Mark - agree with you - this has become very much an 'overcharging Club' - and it could be said an 'underspending' Club. Where is the sense in the over pricing of tickets ? - could have had a much better crowd tomorrow, than there obviously will be. And not just tomorrow .....
0

h32 added 14:42 - Jan 1 Ely Blue - good post - you're right - Bowyer and Bullard wouldn't have come anywhere near the place for much, if any, less. Chopra also - but he did get his debts paid allegedly - and has since become relatively anonymous.
0

broomfield123 added 15:15 - Jan 1 I've a real good idea. Sure you guys would agree. Let's finish the youth set up and spunk the money on 2nd rate premiership player. Why didn't we think this up earLier
0

KentBlue92 added 15:26 - Jan 1 How the hell do these average players negotiate such good contracts.
0

manualthetisfanclub added 15:28 - Jan 1 I fear another bullard scenario coming if andrews signs,once on mega money contract he then plays absolute tosh like bullard has since he signed permanantly!no footballer is worth that,let alone an average player like andrews.come on invest in younger,hungrier players who want to prove themselves.
0

DiamondGezzer added 15:30 - Jan 1 I'd still like him to sign. Surely this is just the work of an agent trying to do the best for himself, knowing that this coud be Andrews last contract and he'll have to find another player/club to fleece after Andrews has retired. We'll soon find out.
0

jas0999 added 15:31 - Jan 1 How much?! So what is the Plan B - 4 loaness leaving/left and problems scoring goals. Several clubs have made signings today - good management. Surely PJ has something lined up?
0

h32 added 16:03 - Jan 1 jas0999 - don't hold your breath on that, after what CLEGG said on Saturday - nothing in the pipeline in terms of deals of any kind, had enquiries about certain ITFC players, but he has much confidence in the current squad of players and expecting great things in 2012. !!!!! - Guess he'd spent the night in the Boardroom after finding the key to the cabinet........................... He also said he was looking forward to winning at Reading ............ yes,of course Simon.

0

RegencyBlue added 16:10 - Jan 1 Two years of this sort of contract would pay for a Catagory A Acadamy. I know what I would rather spend the money on!
0

MattinLondon added 16:18 - Jan 1 Spend thousands of pounds on wages for has-beens or invest in a proper European scouting system and develop a grade A academy. I'd know what I'll rather do.
0

Seasider added 17:07 - Jan 1 Seems club has been concentrating on getting players in cheaply recently or mostly on loan or frees;but paying them a substantial amount.This tactic clearly isnt working so agree with most on here.Wonder how much Norwich City's wage bill is? Trouble is as we continue to be a struggling Championship club must be increasingly difficult to attract young good players like Rhodes who is now probably out of reach financially.Still need more pace in midfield which Andrews doesn't have,as well a cb and rb;so Jewell really hasn't taken us forward at all as we were 19th when RK was sacked and are exactly in same position,and playing Forest at home in first game of new year just like last year.De ja Vue !!! ???

0

brogansnose added 17:09 - Jan 1 Can't blame the bloke for getting the best deal that he can but there are so, so many things wrong with modern football. How the hell can a club like Blackburn afford and sustain contracts like that? Let's face it, his contract is not the exception to the rule.
0

JustSpivvyChops added 17:24 - Jan 1 The contract doesn't surprise me, football has gone mad. I'm just confused about the annual one off payment, what the hell is that about?
0

brittaniaman added 18:07 - Jan 1 I am more concerned about tomorrows game than the Andrews Saga at the moment, because the last time Forest scored and won was against us, also they do not seem to be playing as bad as the results they have been getting lately !!!!!!
0

Tractastic added 20:28 - Jan 1 At his age not worth the money and besides he is clearly looking to the Prem and to be fair to him rightly so with the Euro's coming up and his playing years ltd. Also not sure Andrews and Jimmy work well in the same team so let him go and get Jimmy back to his best and invest in some young hungry lower league players. We'll obviously miss his goals but have never been impressed with his passing or defensive play so its not necessarily all bad news. Also have never agreed as a loanee he should be captain.Our captain should be a signed player who is committed to the cause! Having said that can anyone think of one??? Now maybe that shows exactly where we are at the moment?

0

theblueginger added 21:05 - Jan 1 LOL... so he thinks that we will pay him a higher basic wage than blackburn...and then says we have no ambition to sign him!
0

CornardBlue added 21:35 - Jan 1 The only way he will get that money is sit on his contract at Blackburn, depends what is more important to him going to the European Championships in the summer or 23 grand a week he can't have both. I have been impressed with his goals as he has never been known to score a lot of goals for his other clubs, but i think we should make him an offer within our pay structure, if he turns it down we move on. At his as he will not have to many options.

0

Warkys_Tash added 12:43 - Jan 2 Seems like most of us are in agreement - the financial side of football has ruined the game. I am not saying Andrews is greedy -if anyone was offered that sort of money they would sign up. However, Town can't afford to pay silly wages, Bullard's salary is crazy enough - especially to warm the bench of a side 19th in the Championship. It all makes a mockery of the Club's decision to sell Rhodes to 'trim the wage bill' - he was probably on peanuts compared to the others. We should be bringing through our youth...oh hold on a minute we sold our two young star strikers!!!

0

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls