In addition to their interest in Rangers midfielder Maurice Edu, Scottish reports are linking the Blues with another player north of the border, Dundee United winger Gary Mackay-Steven. Town are understood to have made an approach for 26-year-old US international Edu, who is set to leave the several times demoted Scottish Division Three club this summer.

Mackay-Steven, 21, is reported to be interesting the Blues, but Terrors boss Peter Houston recently said that the midfelder, who is contracted until 2015, and his side’s other promising young players would cost big fees if they were to move on: “The guys will not go unless there's silly money put on the table because these boys are playing as good as anything in Scotland.

"Gary Mackay-Steven is learning the game still, he's done really well. He used to hug the touchline. Now he's drifting in the park and getting on the ball, but that's hard work on the training ground that's taught him that.”

Town are highly unlikely to be paying "silly money" for anyone this summer with manager Paul Jewell having repeatedly said that money is tight.

Mackay-Steven, who played youth football with Ross County and Liverpool, has won three Scottish U21 caps, scoring one goal.

After leaving Liverpool’s academy, the 5ft 9in tall Thurso-born wideman trained with Fulham, before joining Airdrie in January 2011, impressing enough to gain a deal with Dundee United that summer.

Speaking earlier this afternoon, Blues boss Paul Jewell didn’t dismiss reports of Town interest in Edu with the club understood to have made an approach regarding the Californian moving to Portman Road.

Last week, the Blues were linked with a third Scotland-based player, Celtic centre-half Kelvin Wilson, who is believed to have been the subject of one of the bids Jewell revealed had been turned down after the Colchester match.

Photo: Action Images

Photo: Action Images

wayway added 20:34 - Aug 10 I still say get Brian Stock from Doncaster. Top class player who wont cost a fortune
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LancsBlue added 20:37 - Aug 10 On what basis are posters on here saying Stevenson is rubbish? Hewasn't fit last season and he hasn't played a competitive match yet this season. Presumably these are the same people who were posting that Martin and JET were rubbish when they first arrived. Give the lad a chance for christs sake.
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TimmyH added 20:37 - Aug 10 @Talbs - better start washing! - no to be honest completely agree with you, the Dundee U chap looks useful, him on the left and Martin on the right would be potent - that won't probably happen either.
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Edmunds5 added 20:48 - Aug 10 haha I dont think I've ever been sold by a clip so easily as Tom090's one of Mackey-Steven, 5 seconds and I'm mesmorised, very skillful and nimble. There's no reason why he wouldn't be a success here, Snodgrass was a real find from Scotland and this lad looks the same kind of player but we'll see if anything progresses.
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suffolkpunchdrunk added 20:50 - Aug 10 Linkety link, linkety link, link, link, link, linkety link and here is your host Mr Clegg with his comedy blankety blank cheque book and pen..................
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Talbs77 added 20:52 - Aug 10 TimmyH, um lathered up and ready to go baby!!! Hope I do have to have a nibble as that will mean we have signed a really good midfielder in Edu. Yeah also seen the boy Mackay on sky a couple of times and he looks a decent player and yeah agree him and martin either side with JET playing behind Chopra is exciting. But frustrating we keep getting linked yet rarely pull it off and cant see this any different, it will be wages again rather than a fee. I also agree that people need to lay off Stevenson, the guys hardly played so give the guy an opportunity before you criticise as snippets so far indicate he's a good honest player with a decent hit on him.

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buryblue77 added 21:00 - Aug 10 Karlosfandangal, you say is a million silly money yet we can't sign Davies for that money, I believe that Jewell has some funds available and by freeing up the wages of Bullard and Peters we have a bit more free for other players. Maybe we are just setting a realistic fee that we are prepared to spend on a player, after all, Davies hasn't exactly been a regular foe Derby who have someone willing to buy a player in the last year of his contract, a player who has said he wont be staying as he wants to move south and Derby are wanting to make a sizable profit on him, quite frankly I think Derby are taking the pi$$!

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Talbs77 added 21:09 - Aug 10 buryblue77 you are absolutely spot on. The boys played 44 games in 4 years, ok reasonable goal return but no good if only fit 25% of the time. I will lick my hairy beanbag if someone stumps up £1M for him!
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azza01 added 21:11 - Aug 10 here here buryblue i also tink derby r takn pi33 but i tink we will gt r man on the last day for £600k
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TimmyH added 21:18 - Aug 10 I'm keeping a tab on all these Talbs! won't forget, and you'll have to remove some vertebrae. I think Davies is an 'iffy' buy, to injury prone.
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buryblue77 added 21:19 - Aug 10 Talbs, I think Martin is much better in the 2nd striker role so if signed I'd rather see this Mackay geezer and JET on the wings with Martin down the middle. On your Stevenson comment I think he looks decent, maybe not as good as Martin which is probably the role he's best in but a good alternative. I'm going confident on the Edu signing and I haven't beed too confident this year about signing players, sorry but I think you're going to have to have a nibble, can't see anyone stumping up the million for Davies so at least you wont have to lick your nutsack.

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ashfordtrueblue added 21:32 - Aug 10 none of the mentioned 3 scottish players will come here (fact) i cant see PJ signing anyone, because he aint got the cash, in fact the Bookies are making PJ 4-1 to be the first championship casualty, by November, so have a few bob on this wager
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Talbs77 added 21:37 - Aug 10 Dont you worry boys, no need to remove any vertebrae, I used to be in circus!! Actually buryblue I tend to agree with you on reflection, Martin was a revelation wehn he plays 2nd striker and was outstanding against West Ham even though he'd hardly played any pre season. I really hope your right about Edu although, to be honest, I am happy with the midfielders we have. I think Drury is a really good footballer, Hyam is such a tough little player with as big a heart as he has ears, in fact I would say we have as strong a midfield as a lot of teams in this league. If I have to suck on me bag of marbles so be it boys, but I'm with you buryblue77/TimmyH, Davies is overpriced and too much of a risk with his injury record. He may well be a good player (must admit I hadnt heard of him before towns interest) but not £1m with 44 games in 4 years. All we need now is another centre half in my opinion and a back up stirker and I will honestly be happy. We have signed young, hungry lower league players this summer and that is the way forwards. Remember boys, whenever we have been unfancied we normally do extremely well, write off town at your peril.

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buryblue77 added 22:01 - Aug 10 Talbs, I agree Drury is a good player, quite some find by PJ and I'm surprised someone didn't pick him up sooner. I'd say we need 4 more players now Bullard has gone, CB, CM, LM and striker and it seems PJ has those players in mind, maybe that's why we're getting Bullard off the books so we can make way for Edu. Ashford, I said this earlier and I believe there is some money available on a 'right player at the right price' policy hence why we're stalling over Davies, we'd be mugs to pay £1m for him. As for having a wager on PJ to go I'm afraid that's not very supportive now is it? We have the makings of a good squad and with 3-4 more key additions we could really push for top 6 but maybe you're in the PJ out camp so it works both ways for you.

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Talbs77 added 22:27 - Aug 10 buryblueboy77, I agree, at first wasn't quite sure about Drury but pj sending him out on loan was a good move as he seemed to come back twice the player. I think your right, 4 more players in the perfect world would be great, but I just cant see him being able to bring that number of players in before the end of August, plus I just dont think he has the cash for 4. I dont fancy a load of loans either, think its dangerous basing a percentage of your team/squad on players that are unlikely to have a long term future at the club. This "pj out" thing isn't even worth debating, every single sucessful Ipswich manager has had time to build and develop his squad. Yeah the guy got it worng at the start of last season signing older premiership players, but lets cut the guy some slack as I feel these summer signings could really take this team forwards, all of a sudden we could have a promising young squad.

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Eeyore added 22:41 - Aug 10 Having seen the vids, we have no chance of getting Mackay-Steven. But I also said we wouldn't get many medals at the olympics!
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tractorboy12341234 added 23:36 - Aug 10 Its a shame that PJ is hoping to sign 3 or more players now that pre-season has ended. It would have been better if Jewell brought in big names and sorted out the Bullard situation early on when Hewitt joined. I'm not sure that Edu and Mackey-Steven as good as they are, will bring out the best of themselves in the opening fixtures of the season. And weve seen in previous seasons that town find it hard to climb up the table when already in 14th or 15th. These types of signings should have come earlier!

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Jimmys_Law added 00:27 - Aug 11 tractorboy12341234. Sure it would have been nice to get all of the players we want in earlier so that they can settle in, but in reality things never go to plan. Plus it's better late than never, especially for the final few signings we need to push for a playoff position.
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ericgates added 07:05 - Aug 11 We need somebody out wide in the Chris Burke of Birmingham mould and this chap looks very similar.Burke got something ridiculous like 15 goals and 25 assists last season.Not that we were short on goals,I just think we need somebody in one of the three following roles - 1.The Murphy or Carson role - Carson has looked impressive in the last couple of games but can be very hit and miss. 2.The JET role - Hopeully with a season of championship football and 2 tough pre-seasons behind him,he will be dynamite this season, but we all know he can tire quickly. 3.The Martin role - Probably with Luongo our best player, but slighly injury/yellow card prone and with contract issues as well. Also as pointed out, Stevenson may not quite be good enough. A player like this will give competion to all players in the 3 of the 4-2-3-1, and allow players a break fom time to time. He could also hug a touchline if we needed to change to a 4-4-2. So we need 1 player like Mackay-Steven, 1 target man (Iwellumo), 1 centre back(Wilson or Berra) and Edu would be a fantastic bonus.

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Dissboyitfc added 08:23 - Aug 11 Talbs77... you make go down in history, after you go down on yourself lol.. On a serious note, your last post was very good and oh so true, especially the last paragraph. This site would have to be called something else and we would have very little history to be proud of if past ipswich managers hadnt been given longer than one full season to assemble a side capable of challenging. There is the odd exception to this, but generally managers need time and i for one am glad that for all the changes there has been in football and at our club in recent years that we have kept up the tradition of giving the manager time. Evans IMO is being very shrewd, why should the club broadcast that we have money available? thats the type of talk that makes clubs like derby, ref Davis, ask for OTT transfer fees. Money was made available for Bullard and money will be made available for the right personnel. there is one really exciting permanent signing to come. Lots of talk on here about Stephenson, people saying give him time and we should do that, but i have seen him on several occasions now and would say this, very hard working and committed to the cause, you can see he wants to do well, has the odd goal in him, not afraid to have a shot, these are great attributes but i have to say so far there is little evidence of any genuine quality about him, he is a workman type squad player IMO. Anyway 2/3 quality signings(Edu the first, will you need salt and pepper?) and we could well challenge for top 6 this season....COYB

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Len_Brennan added 09:13 - Aug 11 Dissboy: Completely agree with your assessment of Stevenson (if not your spelling). He is a squad player who will come in & do a certain job while giving it 100%, cover a number of positions, give us a big of bite, but won't be in the first XI. Nothing wrong with that & he doesn't deserve a lot of criticism for it. His transfer cost was about the same as Jimmy Bullard's weekly wage at Hull, so it's hardly a huge waste of money on a reasonable squad player at this level. We do need a quality CM signing still though. Hopefully it will be Edu, to put an end to any thoughts of vegitarianism that Talbs might have had, if not for his footballing ability.

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yorksblue added 09:17 - Aug 11 Scottish players aren't good enough eh. I think Wark, Brazil, Burley, Mathie may have something to say about that. However, if you are talking about the current state of Scottish football, it's because the league is awash with cheap, average foreigners, which hinders home-grown talent, very similar to our own leagues. You only have to look at our national sides to see that we're miles behind the rest of the world.

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Dissboyitfc added 18:47 - Aug 11 Len_Brennan... thank you for correcting my spelling, speaking of which did you mean Bit of bite or as you spelt it Big of bite? .... coyb
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ArnieMsBigToe added 08:53 - Aug 12 yorksblue: I fully agree with you. Saying Scottish players are not good enough is rather a foolish statement. It shows lack of forethought to come out with something as glib as that. Please engage brain before putting fingers to keyboard!!
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