Boss Mick McCarthy says the Blues have already begun the process of seeking to add to their squad during the January transfer window, although the Town manager believes it isn’t an ideal time to be doing business.

Having been unable to replace Daryl Murphy at the end of the August window a striker to replace the Irish international, who joined Newcastle United for £3 million, is top of the Blues’ wish-list.

McCarthy, who has been spotted eyeing potential January targets over the last couple of months and has confirmed there's money to spend, says he’s already called other managers to make enquiries regarding the availability of possible additions.

“Of course, I’ve been on the phone and we’re all alike, ‘Well, if this happens or that happens’, there’s never a definitive. That's very, very rare because people are not sure who they might get in,” he said.

“One deal may release somebody else, but it’s never been a very productive month for too many people.

“We’ll just see what happens, see who is available. It’s never a great month to do it, it’s never a great window.

“And bringing lads in that have got no experience in the Championship can always be difficult. We’re into January and the season ends in May. It takes some of them quite a while to get used to it.”

McCarthy reiterated that while he aims to bring players in, there are never any guarantees - “No, not at all” - and reflected on the division’s currently sky high transfer market.

“They said to me at Birmingham, they were telling me that they’ve got £10 million to spend. I said, ‘That’s going to go a long way in the Championship this year, isn’t it? Ross McCormack cost more than that’.”

Conversely, it is possible to make financially astute signings, particularly where players’ contracts are up in the summer and their clubs are keen not to lose them without achieving a fee.

Town signed Freddie Sears from Colchester for £200,000 in those circumstances in the January 2015 window and McCarthy will look at similar signings which might be out there.

“If we can. There are bargains out there, but every one of us is looking for them,” he said. ”We’ll see. We’ll see what we can get.”

The Blues manager says he has spoken to striker Luke Varney, whose short-term deal is up in January, but so far without a decision having been made on his future.

“I had a brief conversation with him the other day,” the Town boss said. “He’s out of contract on January 12th and I’m just discussing with him, no decisions.”

Meanwhile, McCarthy says he feels for midfielder Teddy Bishop, who is sidelined once again having suffered an ankle injury in training.

“He’s been very unlucky,” he added. “He had all that trouble with his hamstring for a while.

“We managed to get to the bottom of that and got that right and this was just a football accident, he just landed and he’s just rocked his ankle - two to four weeks. Sad for him.”

Having said earlier in the week that loanee Jonny Williams isn’t a player he sees as someone who can play in a central midfield pairing, he feels it’s only fitness issues which have prevented Bishop from playing more regularly in the position he made his own during the 2014/15 campaign.

“Teddy’s done it before, the problem with Teddy is that he’s struggled with his fitness coming back from injury as much as anything,” he continued.

“It’s a proper old shift in there, certainly if you’re playing against three. And I think he was getting there, he was certainly getting there in terms of his fitness and stamina. It’s a bit like us, it’s one step forward, one step back.”

Photo: TWTD

franco added 06:05 - Dec 16 God I really dislike you with a passion,you are an old dinosaur,who needs to get out of my club .
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Benters added 06:30 - Dec 16 FFs give us something to cheer for a change and give some of us stay awayers something to want to come and watch ! This is the first time in 30 years i havent been to PR and with this bloke still in charge i wont return !
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DurhamTownFan added 06:44 - Dec 16 Soooooo negative! Can't he just say something to get us back on board with a few hints that something could be done? We're clearly crying out for a Murphy replacement so why not say 'oh we're doing everything we can and I'm hopeful that we'll get some new blood in' instead of this dreary rubbish. Sums the man up and his football! I think he's had enough as well. It's like a terrible relationship where you're too scared to dump each other for fear of being alone!

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airliner added 07:05 - Dec 16 He would say that so he can't be hounded when Marcus gives him no money again. The board and owner are a joke!
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GoldieBlue added 07:09 - Dec 16 Agreed Durhamtownfan, it's sad to see his negavity has no limits. Every comment he makes is as if he wants to infuriate fans. Have some passions FFS, slate ME for no funds, blame the ref, run up and down to touchline, show you actually care about this club and the fans. If not please just move on and stop wasting our time.
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Penguinblue added 07:09 - Dec 16 Good time to change manager McCarthy OUT Don't forget to vote, e-mail Marcus Evans, Milne, the club and anyone who will listen. How can this nonsense continue?
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runaround added 07:16 - Dec 16 For those fans saying give him January to see what he can do in the transfer window, this is a wake up call. Of course he MIGHT make some excellent signings but his comments lead me to think of players near end of contracts who won't be offered better ones. He confirms money available, although of course we rightly don't know how much, so this will be down to him. Just feeling like it's going to continue to be a dour struggle against relegation the whole season. Oh deep joy!!

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phillo added 07:23 - Dec 16 Here we go already ....... happy Christmas !!!!
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jas0999 added 07:34 - Dec 16 Ah, so despite the 'we will reinvest the Murphy money in January' the same old excuses are already being thrown around. Perhaps we shouldn't have sold Murphy at all. I don't want to be hearing money spent in wages etc. I'm expecting some fee signings with every penny of the Murphy cash plus his wages reinvested on the playing squad.
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blues1 added 07:41 - Dec 16 Jas0999. The fact is that we've already spent 2 of the 3 million we got for Murphy. And if the bid we had in for a striker had been accepted we'd have spent in excess of the 3m. Before u tell me we got 4m for Murphy, we only get the extra 1m when they get promoted.
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sereneblue added 07:45 - Dec 16 This idiot has an excuse for everything. Stop fuelling your own ego and start listening to those who matter. THE FANS.
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del added 07:59 - Dec 16 I had o smile the other day when I saw a bill board announcing "money available for striker" - it was less than two seasons ago that we had one of the 'most feared strikers in the league' MM then went and played him on the wing and damn near ruined him!
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12th_Man added 08:12 - Dec 16 Here come the excuse's just go mick
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tractorlad01 added 08:13 - Dec 16 Anyone got a gun?
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tractorlad01 added 08:15 - Dec 16 That (^^^) was a joke btw so no one take it toobseriously...
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howdonblue added 08:33 - Dec 16 Hahahahahahahhahhhahahahahahahhaah You just know what's coming ! Or should I say what's not coming in January A new striker #hadenough
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howdonblue added 08:34 - Dec 16 He'll sign Barney on a 5 year deal and Douglas will get another 3 years lol
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howdonblue added 08:35 - Dec 16 Varney
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muccletonjoe added 08:46 - Dec 16 Good grief. We all know whats coming next. By now it has got as boring as a bored person sitting in a boring room on a particularly boring day.
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tempzzzz added 08:52 - Dec 16 oh surprise surprise, making excuses already dino? we will sign no1 and hundreds will cancel season tickets, including me. can't stand to watch douglas coming out every week over the likes of Williams. stupid old man, throw in the towel already! MICK OUT!
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weevil added 08:58 - Dec 16 "It's never a great month, it's never a good transfer window" You are such a cretin MM. Let's have a look at some recent "bad window transfers" Luis Suarez from Ajax to Liverpool for 22.5m, sold to Barca 3 years later for £75m Patrice Evra from Monaco to Man U for £7m Mikel Arteta from Real Sociedad to Everton, sold for £10m to Arsenal Christophe Dugarry from Bordeaux to Birmingham for FREE, kept Birmingham in the Prem. Nemanja Vidic from Spartak Moscow to Man U for £7m Clint Dempsey from New England Revs to Fulham for £2m Ashley Young from Watford to Aston Villa for £8m Javier Mascherano from West Ham to Liverpool for £18m Roberto MArtinez from Walsall to Swansea for FREE Wilfred Zaha from Man U to Crystal Palace for £6m Daniel Sturridge from Chelsea to Liverpool for £12m Nemanja Matio from Benfica to Chelsea for £21m Gary Cahill from Bolton to Chelsea for £7m So that's the premier league, what about your league MM? Jordan Rhodes from Blackburn to Middlesbrough for £9m Gary Hooper from Norwich to Sheff Wednesday Diego Fabbrini from Watford to Birmingham for £1.5m I can keep going but I've got work to do, unlike MM who just sits on the training pitch staring pensively whilst Terry Connor does the hard work.

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Global_Blue added 08:59 - Dec 16 I get that we're missing Murphy, but I'm not convinced a striker is necessarily our most pressing need. I think we need a good, strong and creative midfielder that can control and open up the middle of the park and provide service up front. Murphy did well because the 'hoof-ball' style of play suited his height and strength (and yes, he was also a good striker). I don't think we've given enough service to our front pairings to allow them to show what they can really do. That said, the addition of a proven and gifted striker as well would be a real bonus. Sadly, I don't expect either our style of play to change or the addition of the kind of quality we need if we really want to get out of this division at the right end.

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Brownie added 09:00 - Dec 16 We'd better sign some otherwise we are in the mire. That said signing them might not be the issue...MM playing them could be the main problem. Williams has to start tomorrow but he won't. Wigan haven't scored at home for 5 games. They have no home wins under their new manager.Standby! COYB!
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Surco72 added 09:03 - Dec 16 Douglas fitter than Williams and Bishop , that's because he doesn't move and does a lot of pointing !!! You are a joke MM like you became at every club you managed , perhaps if you hadn't been telling everybody how good you are and how good your squad was in August transfer window you would have seen what the rest of us saw a weak squad to challenge for promotion . And also MM Leicester won promotion and the premier league on £10 million with good coaching ,good tactics , fast attacking football and good scouting , whereas you seem to make players worse

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RegencyBlue added 09:19 - Dec 16 Problem is he's not wrong - January is a poor time to do business as everyone knows we are desperate for a striker so prices will rocket on anyone we enquire about. We will have to pay over the odds if we want a half decent signing, which isn't going to happen unless ME has a complete personality change. Its going to be the same old 'bargain basement' purchases again. I know we only had a matter of days to replace Murphy in the summer but the clubs failure to address the issue then has really backfired spectacularly.

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