Town boss Paul Jewell says he is hopeful of completing the signing of Leicester central defender Sean St Ledger today. The deal is likely to be on the basis of an initial loan with a view to a permanent deal in the summer.

Jewell says that long-time target St Ledger was hesitating over the move last night having agreed personal terms before receiving reassurance from Blues owner Marcus Evans: “We tried to get him in the summer when Leicester were blowing everyone out of the water.

“Everything’s agreed between the two clubs. I spoke to his agent when I was on the way to Arsenal last night and he said ‘Everything’s fine, but the only thing is, and I don’t want to be funny, he’s just concerned that you’re going to lose your job’.

“When I was on the phone to him, Marcus was also ringing me. I said that Marcus has only ever given me positive pointers and when I’d put the phone down, I took Marcus’s call, told him about the conversation and Marcus said he’d ring him up and put him right, and Marcus put him right.

“I spoke to Sean St Ledger after that and he said ‘I hope you don’t think I was being rude, I went to Middlesbrough and the manager lost his job, went to Leicester and the same thing happened’. I said ‘You know what Sean, maybe I shouldn’t be thinking about signing you!”

He says the Blues are now expecting a call confirming that the Ireland international wants to join, although they are aware that there are other clubs also interested: “We’re just waiting him on getting back to us, he’s got one or two other irons in the fire, but hopefully we’ll get a positive answer from him today, if not we move on. But hopefully we’ll get something done there.”

Jewell says it’s unlikely the deal will be done in time for the 27-year-old to play at Birmingham tomorrow: “We’d like to but I think there’s a 12 o’clock deadline today, so we’re not sure.”

Photo: Action Images

Photo: Action Images

Tractastic added 12:25 - Jan 10 Not sure we should be getting too excited yet. St Ledger still has other irons in the fire and clearly is nervous about coming. Can't see ME sanctioning any full time big monry signings while Jewell is in charge so loans it will be until ME lines up his replacement. Also seems like ME is starting to get more involved so hopefully he persuaded St Ledger to come on the promise of a new manager. After all who the hell would want to play for the clown Jewell. Is ME waking up? And where is Clegg in all this? No enquiries for our squad?That tells you everything about the shambles Jewell has put together.

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Garv added 12:27 - Jan 10 If people can't understand why its a loan don't bother trying to understand.
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Mark added 12:29 - Jan 10 Evans should not leave Jewell in a limbo state, he should either back him (commitment that he will stay and provision of transfer funds) or sack him. The next three month scould be the fight of ITFC's life and we must not lose it and slump into League One. Do we want to fight that battle with loan players and short term contract merchants who don't care because they will find a new club in the summer anyway? That's how Norwich went down. What has happened to all the scouting reports and the repeated visits to the likes of Southend? Where are the young hungry players? Where is a scrap of evidence for the long-term plan that the club talk about?!

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planetblue_2011 added 12:36 - Jan 10 Another loan player, just hope he wants a permanent deal with us when it finishes. Good player tho, be good to get him here!!
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Warkys_Tash added 12:52 - Jan 10 Garv, Exdactly. Well said. Its only ever goign to be loans from now until the end of the season, unless its a lower league player.
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Keaneish added 13:02 - Jan 10 ...and st. Ledger obviously doesn't want to sign if we're going down! Loan seems sensible from his point of view. Not sure this is the right partnership for Sonko though.
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northstand78 added 13:18 - Jan 10 Jewell's defeat percentage is worse than that of Bobby Ferguson (39%), John Duncan (37%), Joe Royle (32%), Jim Magilton (34%) and Roy Keane (34%). Read and weep.!!
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ipswichtown28 added 13:22 - Jan 10 I have backed PJ for quite some time now but im starting to loose confidence. St Ledger will NOT sign for town beleive me. He will not want to join a team in our position in the table thats for sure. We are in big trouble weds night with Sonko and Smith at the back and im afraid we are going to get smashed at home to blackpool sat too. I really hate being so negative but if this is the case then I think PJ should def be sacked monday morning. Hopefully we wont sign anyone perm as it will give the new manager money to spend on his own players ???

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Warky223611 added 13:33 - Jan 10 @northstand78 We don't need a right back mate, if you went to the forest game edwards was one of the only players to show some ambition and he wasnt the one that caused the 3 goals to go in ! JEWELL OUT WARNOCK IN
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darren_cox added 13:33 - Jan 10 Good signing if it happens. But once again the concern would be that its another loan. U cant blame the player though.
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Surco72 added 13:39 - Jan 10 St Ledger needs to be playing regularly and well to get in the Irish Euro squad ,this is an ideal signing for both parties .Why are people moaning it has to be better than Smith or an injured Delaney ?
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WarkyWonderLand added 13:43 - Jan 10 This won't happen, he will go to Leeds where lonergan is keeper and mate from Preston. Jewell will be praying it does as its last roll of the dice. Reading jewells record in the eadt makes you weap and still can't see how people support him. He will take us down and that would kill this club. Prices won't go down and people won't come back. Jewell is in the last chance saloon.

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casanovacrow added 13:45 - Jan 10 Yeh sign on loan = Jewell is dead man walking
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Pessimistic added 13:50 - Jan 10 Shrewd work by Paul Jewell and who knows maybe hereally did get the cleaner to say he was Marcus Evans because no one has seen him speak or heard him talk so even the cleaner would have some street cred.
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buryblue77 added 13:54 - Jan 10 Garv, it's not that we don't understand why he's a loan signing. We just don't want all these loan signings, other (smaller) clubs than us can get decent players in, and we have done historically, so what's gone wrong over last few years? Northstand, I think Royles win percentage was a bit higher, when you think about what he did with no money he's one of our better mangers.

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MickMillsTash added 13:57 - Jan 10 If he does not sign it will not reflect well on Jewell- could his repuatation sink any lower? Why couldn't he sign before 12 today?
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singtown added 14:31 - Jan 10 Ho
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singtown added 14:33 - Jan 10 Hope PJ has more surprises for us up his sleeves!
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blues1 added 14:33 - Jan 10 why dont those people moaning about this being a loan deal(presuming he does actually sign), read the whole story? yes, if it was just a loan till end of season, then he def gone then i too wouldnt be too ecstatic about it. but it is with a view to a permanent move. taking into account that im sure he'll be on a pretty decent wage, & the fact we could still be relegated at end of season i believe this is probably the best way for both parties, as i doubt he'd want to stay if we in lge 1 & we wouldn't want another high paid player on our books in that div neither.

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Furious added 14:39 - Jan 10 Possibly Great News, If he looks at the long term and Jewell has a chance to sort out this Team. Jewell's Barmy Army!
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walberswick added 14:46 - Jan 10 It ain't happening, Paul.
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Basil_Smallpiece added 14:51 - Jan 10 Looks like Derek Pringle in his salad days
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PauloJulio added 14:56 - Jan 10 Hope he signs but until the inks dry on the contract you never know! If he does we still need another centre half and a right back but PJ doesn't seem to be in any hurry to find new recruits despite ITFC's precarious league position and the fact we are leaking goals like a sieve! PJ get your finger out!
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buryblue77 added 14:57 - Jan 10 Andrews and Collins, loans with a view to a permanent deal. neither of them have signed and why does it take so long if we would want to make it a permanent deal, surely in the case of Andrews we knew that he was wanted here. Why weren't the clubs in negotiations regarding a long term deal so it's just the formalities of paperwork to be completed and submitted when the window opens. Our transfer policy just doesn't make any sense to me anymore, either Evans has become tight and doesn't want to release any more, doesn't trust Jewell and is giving him only a couple more games or is skint!

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Sparky85 added 14:57 - Jan 10 Don't be worried that its a loan. Jewell said that he expected peranent signings, but Clegg and Evans are not letting him make them. Read between the lines, Jewell is gone with a few more bad results! So why make permanent signings when a potential new manager wont want them?? Easier to get them on loan and see what happens in the next few weeks.
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