Middlesbrough are reported to have had a £2.5 million offer for striker Daryl Murphy turned down by the Blues, while newly-relegated Burnley and Fulham are also said to have joined the clubs interested in Town’s 27-goal Championship top scorer.

According to this morning’s Irish Sun the Blues have rebuffed a Boro bid for the 32-year-old, who is currently with the Ireland squad ahead of Saturday’s Euro 2016 qualifier against Scotland in Dublin.

Murphy, who was linked with Hull City in January, is also claimed to be on Burnley manager Sean Dyche’s three-man shortlist of potential replacements for Danny Ings, who has joined Liverpool, while the Cottagers are also said to have joined Cardiff City - who were recently reported to have Murphy top of their summer wish list - in making their interest in the former Waterford, Sunderland Celtic man known to Town.

Manager Mick McCarthy and owner Marcus Evans have both said they are determined to keep hold of the Blues' key players this summer, while Murphy has repeatedly stated that he has no intention of leaving Town as he and his family are settled in Suffolk.

The Irishman signed a new contract with Town last July, which has another year left to run. However, contrary to this morning’s report, it’s unlikely that Murphy would be a free agent next summer with that deal also including an option for the Blues to extend it for a further season.

Photo: Action Images

Popeye added 16:36 - Jun 10 Straight swap for Leadbitter!!!
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MickMillsTash added 16:49 - Jun 10 The leagues top scorer - If his agent is worth anything he will be getting him a big pay rise. This news is all all part of the game.
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cromwellblue added 17:18 - Jun 10 Interesting to read the comments so far. Obviously based on this season it's hard to accept the logic of a sale for anything but a silly fee. But lets assess the reality. Last season was amazing by any standards. Can it be repeated? His past career suggests maybe not. If we are 3 months in and he's not scored will you all still be this supportive? At his age a large fee will become harder to justify as time goes on. Many comment on his loyalty. May I remind you he was a loan for a long time, thus keeping his high salary in tact at his home club. Only when his contract expired did he come to us on a contract. Money talks, I'm not saying sell and this may well get slated, but some hard headed reality may be necessary. A sizeable fee for what is in truth and average player will have to be considered. As I say, if he starts poorly next season how long will your loyalty to him last????????

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cookie77 added 17:39 - Jun 10 They can jog on! I can understand if the bid was 5m+ then we might be a bit tempted as he is in the latter part of his career but he is settled here and is very important we keep our top players to push on from last season. A bid of 2.5mil is a joke really as someone said before that rickie lambert was sold for 4mil. Hopefuly he will stay and not be tempted by better wages but I think murphy has shown great loyality since he join us on loan in the dark times of this club.

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cookie77 added 17:39 - Jun 10 They can jog on! I can understand if the bid was 5m+ then we might be a bit tempted as he is in the latter part of his career but he is settled here and is very important we keep our top players to push on from last season. A bid of 2.5mil is a joke really as someone said before that rickie lambert was sold for 4mil. Hopefuly he will stay and not be tempted by better wages but I think murphy has shown great loyality since he join us on loan in the dark times of this club.

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runaround added 17:58 - Jun 10 Murphy is far more important to the way we play than just his goals. I think it would be a massive gamble to cash in on him as it would most likely mean a total change of tactics which served us so well last season & I personally wouldn't sell him unless he really does want to move. MM may of course have another plan & selling Murph will fund it but even though I'd back him I would be very surprised

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jas0999 added 18:37 - Jun 10 It's all well and good people saying Murphy won't want to leave. He has already correctly raised concerns about our recruitment strategy. At 32 if he gets promoted to the PL next season he probably sees it as one last crack of playing in the top flight. To achieve it with Ipswich, he rightly recognised that we need a) a bigger squad and b) more quality players. In a summer where our rivals are being linked with multi million pound signings - despite people on here suggesting clubs don't spend at this level ( they do by the way) - or top quality free transfers (derby and QPR), we are being linked with the likes of Alan Dunne, a decent player but no better than what we already have and like Tabb will get worse rather than better. Murphy may decide it's time to take a chance elsewhere. Unless Evans bucks up and starts competing in the transfer market, we won't progress, in fact our better players may opt to leave. MM also needs to alter his strategy of only relying on frees and loans. Some yes, but we may have to pay out for quality in other areas.the question is whether Mick will go that route and whether Evans backs it. Big summer ahead.

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Hegansheroes added 18:51 - Jun 10 I wouldn't feel aggrieved if DM left to go to a Premiership club & I doubt the club would stand in his way if the fee was right but who in the universe would choose to move to ICI city ie Middlesborough, must be the grimmest place in the UK, made me think of Chernobyl when I went there. Wouldn't even send a budgie up there.
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Tractorog added 18:54 - Jun 10 No chance. At £2.5m the price is 0.3% of ME's fortune. It would not be worth him taking the risk. Murphy would be wiser to negotiate an extra few years with us, because if ME triggers the years extension then Murphy is 35 by the time he is a free agent.
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blues1 added 19:16 - Jun 10 Why do people think he's worth so much money? He's had 1 great season in the whole of his career. Is he likely to have another 1 next season? Maybe, but his record over the years doesn't suggest he will. I'm not saying I want him to go but IMO if we were offered nething around £3m or over I think it should be considered. Like when we sold kieron dyer, the money could allow us to bring in 2or3 players, and ultimately get us promoted. If he stays, great. If not, may not be the disaster some on here seem to think it would be.

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TimmyH added 19:25 - Jun 10 I hope this is not the start of us 'rebuffing' other clubs offers for our players this summer rather than us looking to add depth and quality to our existing squad - absolutely imperative if we are to improve.
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ITFCFan added 20:36 - Jun 10 Why sell him?? Evans won't reinvest so we lose out!! I know MM has done wonders in the free transfer would but we won't find a 20+ goal scorer for free very easily or without a lot of compatition!! We need to build on what we have and pass them budgies on the way up and they come crashing back down!!
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Gazelle added 20:42 - Jun 10 He says he's happy and settled here. That's worth 10 goals a season surely, and several hundred quid a week at least.
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dukey44 added 21:01 - Jun 10 Keirbmeister i work in boro and yes i agree!!
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Walk_the_Wark added 00:05 - Jun 11 Sell him- we can buy all the new players we need for that!
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battyblue added 05:50 - Jun 11 Squeeze a bit more cash out of them and sell play Sears at no9 and get two quality wide men with the cash to supply the ammunition promotion here we come.
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rickw added 09:18 - Jun 11 I think next season is our best chance of promotion for a long time - and that's worth £120m!! Why would you risk that sort of money by selling your main goal threat for £2.5m or even £5m, to me it doesn't matter what Murphy's age is, if he has a similar season again we'll be in with a shout (if we buy a couple of wingers and right back!!) and even if he's unable to ever play again beyond that it's irrelevant - he'd have been worth keeping!

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blue90 added 11:15 - Jun 11 Carlton Cole has been released by West Ham. Would be willing to let Murph go for 4million if we can get hom on a free. Believe wages of around 12K a week would be enough.
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BigHibbs added 11:53 - Jun 11 I've seen some silly things in my time ! But comparing Murphy to big Rick lamberts price tag is one of the stupidest things I've ever seen
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