TWTD understands Premier League Crystal Palace are continuing to pursue their interest in Town's Bartosz Bialkowski, who is their top target as they look to add another keeper to their squad during January.

The Eagles were first mentioned in connection with the 30-year-old just under a fortnight ago with a number of other keepers also having been linked but with Bialkowski, who is contracted until the end of the season with the Blues having an option to keep him for a further year, heading their list of potential recruits.

Town are believed to want at least £4 million for the former Poland U20 international and we understand the Eagles are prepared to meet the asking price with discussions between the clubs currently ongoing.

It’s likely that as with previous deals the Blues would want further top-up payments after appearance milestones are met and a sell-on clause.

Town are unlikely to allow Bialkowski, the club’s Player of the Year for the last two seasons, to move on until they have another keeper lined up with Dean Gerken, 32, currently sidelined with a hip injury.

Third-choice Michael Crowe, 22, may well be handed his Blues debut when Town face Sheffield United in the third round of the FA Cup at Portman Road on Saturday.

Manager Mick McCarthy was already on the lookout for another keeper prior to Palace firming up their interest in Bialkowski as cover for Gerken.

Bialkowski joined the Blues from Notts County on a free transfer in the summer of 2014 - but with the deal including a sell-on clause entitling the Magpies to a percentage of any future fee - having previously worked with Town keeper-coach Malcolm Webster at his first English club Southampton.

Photo: TWTD

GTRKing added 18:24 - Jan 4 If we sell bart & get no replacement in that is not good enough then we will be screwed We need to keep him unless we can get a better keeper... But they all cost 5ml-6ml+ we can't afford that
2

Cheshire_Blue added 18:28 - Jan 4 Div 1 next year without our No.8. Just look at recent results without him.
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tommyfleet added 18:34 - Jan 4 Becoming increasingly frustrated by people thinking that 'x' amount of money for Bart is a 'good deal'. In this circumstance no money is a good deal. We have the best keeper in the league and we will not be able to attract his quality with 10million, let alone 5! The only good deal would be to keep Bart. ME will really show his colours when he decides to sell. For me, its a no brainer to keep Bart. For ME , its a choice between financial gain or club progression. Selling Bart will not result in both. If you want to get out of this league the right way then you need to keep your quality in house. Winning the playoffs is the best financial gain in football, but were never going to do that without players like Bart.

2

Karlosfandangal added 18:35 - Jan 4 The other thing is does BART want to go,or will he be able to turn down a massive wage
1

Karlosfandangal added 18:38 - Jan 4 Does BART want to go as he is happy here or is the chance of a massive wage in the later years to hard to refuse
2

Pip50 added 18:40 - Jan 4 What a pathetically run club we have become. What is the point if we sell one of our best players. To think we will replace him with equal quality is madness. 30 is still young for a goalkeeper. Those on here who say good luck he will play in the Prem well look at Rhodes, Murphy and even so, so what the success of the club comes first before player ambition. I hope league one gives us a welcome that's where we are headed and frankly it's just what Evans et al deserve.

2

cat added 18:49 - Jan 4 If there's any substance in this then I'd take 5m and invest 50% of that on a new keeper, or, take either Speroni or Hennessy in return. BART has been our stand out player in what's been a fairly woeful last couple of seasons, but there's just to many gaffs in him to call him a truly top class championship keeper, or indeed a member of the Polish squad.
1

Currie10 added 18:55 - Jan 4 Amen Lightning finally someone who understands football. We LOSE over £5 mill per yer, sometimes over £6 / £7 mill. It's expensive to run a footy club. Should Bart go for £4 mill, we're not going to spend £2-£3 mill on just transfer fees it's not how it works. I'd imagine he's off in Jan, just a case ( sadly ) of getting the best fee possible now. Season appears to be going down the toilet rapidly.

1

football89 added 19:11 - Jan 4 Think we need to be realistic sometimes it's not just about the club rejecting offers to keep him. If he wants to test himself in the premier league he won't be happy being forced to stay. If we make him stay he may leave in summer 2019 for nothing. People saying he is worth £10m I think are way off. He is important to us so may feel that way but in real world a £4m+ deal is good for a championship keeper with 18 months left on his contract. I also wonder how many people were so happy when we got him from Notts County on a free?

4

Pip50 added 19:20 - Jan 4 The last few posters are missing the point. It's not about losing £4m or £7 or him going in 18 months. It's the consequences over the remainder of his contract of transferring a player who has won us points, kept us from being hammered, been player of the season all with no quality replacement.
3

Swn98 added 19:21 - Jan 4 How many games is he likely to play for Palace?
-1

liam88 added 19:50 - Jan 4 Cash in.... Clear out has started
0

dirtydingusmagee added 20:12 - Jan 4 sums the club up, selling ,wont or cant re invest, no ambition, if Evans cant afford to take ITFC forward ,he should sell up , with nothing to aim for what incentive is there for fans.
2

cat added 20:25 - Jan 4 Tommyfleet - show me a stat to back up your claim ref “Bart best in league”. Taking my ITFC blinkers off it's Westwood for me. We're a selling club with a massive debt, end of. Best bit of positivity I cling to is the academy's coming good again, after 20 odd years and that's the best chance we have of achieving something anytime soon.
2

Carberry added 20:37 - Jan 4 There is no chance of the money being re-invested in players, it just means Evans doesn't have to put his hand in his pocket for another season. And when a player leaves his wages go with him so there is a reduction in costs. And could someone get a photo of Mr 'powers that be' Milne, we need to see how long his nose has grown?
3

Taricco_Fan added 20:41 - Jan 4 We're £90m in debt, rising rapidly every year....and other clubs know it. Bart should be worth more than £4-5m in this inflated market but Palace know we desperately need the money. Whatever fee we receive for Bart, very little will be reinvested. The sales of Cresswell, Mings and Murphy were likely used to service debt, whether the club will admit it or not. I can't help but feel this club is staving-off the inevitable. Huge debt, selling all our best players, falling crowds, increasingly unable to compete on a financial level in this division. Our survival rests on the work of the youth setup and scouting network, both of which are doing a great job. As for Bart: I can only wish him all the best. Great player, great servant, great bloke...he deserves the opportunity.

5

wayway added 20:49 - Jan 4 Whatever money we get for Bart, McGoldrick, Moore or any other player a bid comes in for it will go straight to Evans PLC. When will people realise they are not in the least interested in I T F C as a FOOTBALL club, only a means of writing down losses against tax. As for doing a deal with Hennessey involved, the PLC would not pay one fifth of the money he is on at Palace. Time for concerted action to get Evans PLC out.

1

Jimmy86 added 21:05 - Jan 4 Blues1 the reason I would say Bart is worth 7-8 million is purely because of what he is worth to us. He's our best keeper and we have the option of an extra season, which would enable us to get a better price for him. If he went for 4 million I'd be astounded
1

dirtydingusmagee added 21:07 - Jan 4 people do realise it wayway, that's why they are fed up with the regime, ITFC are a club in decline with an owner who has no heart in it ,no genuine interest in the sport either. Gate figures show people are losing interest, We will probably survive in championship again this season ,but how many seasons will that last, we have not progressed in last five + and looks like we will go full circle ,McCarthy's contract will be up and we will have done nothing in his time. Im no fan of McCarthy but the real problem is the owner.

3

blues1 added 22:18 - Jan 4 Jimmy 86. That years option was there when wolves offered £5m in the summer. So if anything hisxvalue will have dropped since then, not increased. I agree about his value to us but still believe £4-5m is a fair price forca championship keeper.
1

KiwiBlue2 added 23:25 - Jan 4 From now on I think we should refer to Mr Milne as Sargeant Schultz because he clearly knows nothing, hears nothing and sees nothing ,,,,,
1

brittaniaman added 00:05 - Jan 5 OH well I suppose we will have to put up with Gerken hip injury or not, he is still one of Dino's favourites,
1

FromIpswichToPhoenix added 00:32 - Jan 5 I'm sure if we sell him we can get a bargain keeper for free.
0

KiwiBlue2 added 02:59 - Jan 5 Interested to see if we are left with any saleable assets by the time MM leaves. Bart and Didz (played in his best position) are integral to any push towards the top 6. Hard to see us achieving anything if they both go
1

BrettenhamBlue added 07:14 - Jan 5 Feel it's a disaster if he goes. Or when he goes. Paddy Kenny's been released by Maltby Main. Will we see his return on a short-term contact? (To back up Gerken and Crowe). Wouldn't shock me if that happened, we like cheap and cheerful.
1

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