Town’s attempt to sign Preston striker Jordan Hugill looks to be over with the Lilywhites unwilling to sell the 24-year-old, according to Blues boss Mick McCarthy, who still continues to search for a new frontman ahead of Tuesday’s 11pm deadline.

Asked whether he had given up on signing Hugill, who scored Preston’s last-gasp equaliser against the Blues at Deepdale on Saturday, Town having had a second bid of £2 million for the former Port Vale man rebuffed a few days earlier, McCarthy said: “I think they gave up on us, they’re not selling him.”

Could there be further additions to his squad before the window closes? “Possibly, we’re still trying but as I said right at the very start of it, it’s going to be difficult and that’s just how it’s proven to be.”

Has he had any feedback on the offers he made last week? “The only feedback we’ve had is a no.”

A replacement for Daryl Murphy, who was sold to Newcastle at the end of the August window for £3 million was top of the January wish-list, so would McCarthy be frustrated if one wasn’t signed before tomorrow’s deadline?

“I kind of face reality, me. I’m fairly pragmatic,” the Blues manager added. “We’ve tried our best. I don’t get into that mode, I get into thinking that whatever we’ve got we’ll get the best out of them and make do with what we’ve got rather than thinking [it would be frustrating].

“I’m not like that. I just think it’s done, get on with it, we’ll crack on and work with what we’ve got, as I’ve always done. And done pretty successfully, to be honest.”

He says he’s continue to work on making that addition in the time remaining: “But I’ll have to stop scouting at a quarter to eight tomorrow night.”

McCarthy says he knows nothing of reported loan interest from Coventry for midfielder Jonathan Douglas - “It’s nothing I’ve heard anything about but if Russell Slade rings me up, I’ll speak to him” - and says he's not aware of anyone chasing any of his players.

“No idea, I haven’t got a clue,” he said. “If there is nobody’s telling me. Everybody and sundry is promoting Tom Lawrence to go here, there and everywhere and we all know that he’s signed and it has to be agreed by us, Leicester and him and that’s not going to happen."

McCarthy says he’d be up for sending some of his younger players out on loan with midfielder Kundai Benyu set to extend his stay with Vanarama National League Aldrershot.

“Yes, I might send some of them on loan,” he continued. “It’s certainly benefiting Kundai.

“I was speaking to [Shots manager] Gary Waddock today and they’re going keep him, we’ve got a 24-hour recall on him and hopefully towards the end of the season if we’re neither going up nor down then we can blood some of the young ‘uns and Kundai will be better off having had two, three, maybe four months playing in the National League.

“They keep taking him month to month and when I spoke to Gary Waddock today I said we’ll just keep it the same.

“It wouldn’t make any difference if we said to the end of the season because we’ve still got a 24-hour recall. They just keep turning it over every month. I’m fine whichever way they want it.”

Regarding striker Leon Best, who he stated last week wouldn’t play for the club again, McCarthy says he’s unlikely to leave during January as he has to undergo minor surgery.

“No, I doubt it, he’s got to have a little op on a groin operation he had before he came here,” the Town boss added. “That’s just got to be tidied up, that won’t be a long thing. But very unlikely.”

Photo: Action Images

miltonsnephew added 14:26 - Jan 30 Here we go 🙈🙈🙈.
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TractorCam added 14:30 - Jan 30 Well done Mick, I could have told you that. Move on. Matty Taylor or Omar Bogle
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brittaniaman added 14:31 - Jan 30 You know very well Preston will not sell, so just concentrate on other targets now ??? but probably left it too late !!!!!
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Pencilpete added 14:31 - Jan 30 did West Ham 'want' to sell Payet ? It's all about the offer and the pressure you put on the other club and of course, the player himself Obviously not doing enough to tempt them ... move on
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iaintaylorx added 14:32 - Jan 30 Left yourself with way too much to do, you idiot!
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Radlett_blue added 14:32 - Jan 30 Dougie to go out on loan - fingers firmly crossed!
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Michael11 added 14:34 - Jan 30 Just knew this was going to happen. Why did we not have someone lined up and ready to sign on the dotted line on January 1st? We've had since September to find a suitable replacement for Murphy. I can't see it being anything but another short term signing now even if we do bring someone in. Hopefully we could have an exciting deadline day but I doubt it.
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Spanishblueblood added 14:35 - Jan 30 Once again, wasting time on a non starter! Should have tested the water in November /December and had something else lined up! Never have a bloody back up plan! Still, Super Mick has always felt he is more than good enough to take us up on a shoestring budget! #deludedtwot
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GTRKing added 14:35 - Jan 30 Mick is trying to get a striker in & if there is a deal going on he won't tell Till it happens as don't want other clubs comming in
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ClausThomsen added 14:36 - Jan 30 I'd be surprised to see anyone else come in after these comments. Enjoy your last few months Mick! I won't!
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MattinLondon added 14:38 - Jan 30 Not really surprised as Preston are a few points nearer to the Play-Offs than what we are. And as we're not the sort of club to break the bank to land a player then apart from making a sensible bid there's not really a lot more that we can do.
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martin587 added 14:44 - Jan 30 It was written in the stars.! Nothing surprises me anymore.
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hucks216 added 14:46 - Jan 30 This is all assuming that Jordan Hugill would want to come here. What can we offer him that Preston can't? They are a club in with a shout of reaching the Play-Off positions while we stagnate, flirt with the relegation zone and ruin every attacking players creativity with our defensive play. There is a reason most of Lawrence's goals are solo efforts or from long range and that is because no one else is providing the creativity for the front players.

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hoppy added 14:48 - Jan 30 If they'd wanted to sell him, they would've transfer listed him. If we want to buy him, we have to offer them the fee that would make them sell. We're always told "Everybody has their price" when we've let players go, so maybe we need to make the kind of bids that would meet their valuation, and then let the player decide once we've met that figure. It's clearly more than £2m if they've rejected that offer, so if he is the definite one we need, then keep testing the water with increased bids, rather than giving up after 2 bids.... just because that's the way we do it when other clubs come to wanting our players and accept on their first or second bid, doesn't mean everyone else does it that way...

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Miles added 14:52 - Jan 30 One thing I would rather us to is not sign anyone than panic buy now. It should have been done earlier but if we have to wait until the summer then so be it. Frustrating but better than an expensive panic deadline day buy.
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 14:59 - Jan 30 I don't think we should be offering more than £2m for a moderately successful Championship striker. If we've done that already, fair enough. Let's move on.
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Balders added 15:00 - Jan 30 Roll back to the start of the season..... £3mil for an over the hill striker who was struggling for form. Sears / Mcgoldrick / Pitman looked on the face of it ok until xmas. Hindsight is that none have stepped up this season. Good strikers are never available at a discount in January - Torres £50mil!! This season has become about maintaining Championship football, unfortunately. Come the summer adding a Right Back, Left Back and a Striker who has proven championship ability complemented with a loan signing in the mould of Fraser / Lawrence. A lot of players have let the club / manager down this year with their performances and need to be looking over their shoulders!!!!

16

bostonusablue added 15:03 - Jan 30 I am trying not to be pessimistic here, but isn't this transfer window like all recent ones with MM and ME? Promise the world but we end up with another few loans and next to zero spent on transfer fees? Then the excuses come out about how much players costs, etc. NO. MORE. LOANS. We don't need short-term fixes. We need a plan in place to take our beloved club forward, and that means signing players on a full-time basis. We need stability and that can only be achieved with signings, not loans.

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DoobDude added 15:08 - Jan 30 Yes Mick you are happy with what you have got. Which is a nice wage, nice house and an understanding owner who won't sack you.
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Guthrum added 15:19 - Jan 30 People saying "no loans", where are we going to find players of the calibre of Lawrence and Fraser available to buy, before we even start thinking about the price-tag? If we want the boost that someone that good can give to our squad, we'll have to either breed them (very rare), discover them (even rarer) or loan them. They ain't going to be for sale at anything less than Prem-level silly money, if at all.

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bicesterblue2 added 15:24 - Jan 30 I wouldn't mind betting that the club knew all along these bid's would not be accepted, and this was made public to look like we were trying to spend money, which all along there was no intention. I agree we should not be spending more than £2mil, but plenty other good ones available for that.
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brittaniaman added 15:26 - Jan 30 Even Coventry do not want Douglas, just announced !! looking for an attacking Midfielder.
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runningout added 15:27 - Jan 30 Hugill will be the next Nugent. Get him.. :-)
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Lightningboy added 15:29 - Jan 30 I don't see the point in giving a manager that fewer and fewer people want here money to spend when the possibilities/probabilities are that he'll (hopefully) be gone in a few months time. Let's get safe with what we have and give the new manager that cash in the summer.
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Balders added 15:30 - Jan 30 The Loans debate can go on and on Fact is we cannot afford a Lawrence or Fraser.Had they got us promoted, it may have been possible to keep hold of them permanently. Disagree with a lot MM has done re defensive tactics but his signings in the main have been v good championship players. Berra, Mcgoldrick, Sears, Fraser, Lawrence, Ward, Mings,. Am sure he has planned scouted every available possible striker but I seriously don't think we need to pay over the top to get one in.

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