Town are reported to have renewed their interest in St Mirren central defender Sergei Baltacha. The son of former Town and Soviet Union star Sergei senior, he is the subject of a £200,000 bid from Southampton after a trial at St Mary's.

A St Mirren spokesman said of the interest in their player: "Gordon Strachan has been very impressed with Sergei and wants him to go back down. But Ipswich have been back in for him as well. His dad is still a hero there so it could come down to a battle for him."

Baltacha junior has long been reported to be interesting Town, even as far back as October 1999 when George Burley watched him make his debut for the Scotland U21s.

Baltacha is now 22 and has made 65 senior appearances and scoring two goals in his spell at Love Street.

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