Released Blues midfielder Kevin Bru is closing in on a move to Apollon Limassol, according to reports in Cyprus, while Preston are said to have fought off competition from Cardiff City to land ex-Town keeper Michael Crowe.

Cypriot website 24 Sports say talks between Apollon and Bru are at an advanced stage with negotiations regarding personal terms ongoing but with the move expected to be confirmed soon.

Bru, 29, who joined Town in the summer of 2014 after a successful trial having left Bulgarian side Levski Sofia, made 62 Blues starts and 41 sub appearances, scoring four goals. He left Portman Road in April with his contract up this summer.

Released keeper Crowe is reportedly close to joining Preston, having also been interesting newly-promoted Premier League Cardiff.

Former Wales U21 international Crowe, who was called up to the senior squad by Ryan Giggs in March without winning a cap, left the Blues at the end of the season after six years at Portman Road.

He joined the academy from IK Start in Norway, the country in which he grew up having been born in London.

The 22-year-old was on the bench for the Town first team on 47 occasions but without ever making his senior debut.

Photo: TWTD

OsborneOneNil added 11:19 - Jun 5 Always interests me when a club release a player (Crowe), then he's wanted by a Prem side.
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RegencyBlue added 11:23 - Jun 5 Good luck to Bru, at his best I thought he was a decent player but consistency was a problem. As for Crowe, I wonder if we have made a mistake in releasing him. Time will tell but he has not struggled to get decent clubs interested in him so are they seeing something we have missed?
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Bergholtblue added 11:31 - Jun 5 I wonder whether it was a wise move to let Crowe go especially if Bart moves on in the summer.
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boroughblue added 11:55 - Jun 5 all the best to Bru, always thought he was a tidy player. As for Crowe, I really hope I'm wrong, but I think we've made a mistake. time will tell though
3

goat_man added 11:55 - Jun 5 Bru was a much better player than MM allowed him to be. I'm not sure how anyone could question his consistency as he was never consistently picked and when he was he was crow-bared into a deep lying defensive role as cover.
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Bluebell added 11:56 - Jun 5 Why did we let Crowe go when we were getting a new manager who may have felt he should be in the squad? If Bart goes we are left with Gerken and a couple of academy keepers. Seems like madness to me as Crowe can't have been on particularly high wages. Who made that decision I wonder?
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BartonBluee added 11:58 - Jun 5 We released Cody Cropper a couple of years back and he moved onto Southampton... He then dropped back down to MK Dons, then back to the US with New England Revolution, so there's no guarantee that moving to a prem team means you are good enough or needed! Lots of prem teams want strength in depth. If he had moved to Cardiff he would have been No.5 or 6! I don't blame him for choosing Preston, after watching them at our place their first choice keeper was awful! He has a better chance of displacing him then he does Bart (and at the moment Bart is still ours!). As for Bru, good luck to him! Always loved him, but I think the Cyprus sun will be much more up his street.

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Fixed_It added 12:02 - Jun 5 I suspect that our coaching staff have seen far more of Crowe than the scouts from the clubs interested in him. I am happy to trust their judgement on this one. Only time will tell.
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cornishblu added 12:16 - Jun 5 Crowes Welsh ....why the surprise that Cardiff are prepared to take a look at him ? This does seem strange if Bart does leave .....but I guess we also have to trust the coaches (albeit now retired ) in givinghis overview....no one has said out crow in before Bart ...and when gerks is fit gerks always gets in the bench before him....so at 22 Crowe doesn't want to hang around so has probably been offered the first team slot or a team least a certain number if games until deemed fully ready ! COYB

2

scooby added 12:18 - Jun 5 How is kundai Benyu getting on now
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Warkys_Tash added 12:18 - Jun 5 Didnt we also release Nick Pope a few years back?
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Dalty added 12:21 - Jun 5 Good point BartonBluee, different position but Sam Ford's a similar example. Remember MM getting stick from a few people on here when he left us to join West Ham, he ended last season playing for Felixstowe.
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GerkensBeard added 12:46 - Jun 5 Speaking to my mate who is mates with one of the other town goalkeepers said that nobody ever wanted Crowe on loan in down as far as conference level. It was well aware to everyone that if Bart or Gerks got injured he'd go out and get another goalkeeper instead of trust Crowe
0

rollercoastertown added 12:52 - Jun 5 Just about every Welsh player will be linked with either Cardiff or Swansea at some point I suppose. Will be interesting how the keeper situation unfolds at Town though. Somebody must have a plan B if Bart Leaves......didn't Shrewsbury have a keeper on loan from Man U last season?
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BlueBlood90 added 13:00 - Jun 5 I can't understand the logic in letting Crowe go. Keepers don't usually peak until they nearly turn 30 so he had plenty of time to develop and go out on loan for a couple of seasons. Always looked a good prospect whenever I've seen him. I think it's pretty obvious that if Bart moves on then we'd sign Dean Henderson on loan from Man Utd.
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TrueBlueRich added 13:08 - Jun 5 Rollercoastertown Yes, Ryan Henderson and he looked good. If Bart does leave it would'n't surprise me if Hursty went back to Man U for him.
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algarvefan added 13:19 - Jun 5 Many players have 'purple patches' during their career and goalkeepers are strange creatures. Look at Richard Wright, when he was with us his confidence was high and he played well. However moves to bigger clubs saw his confidence dip and he was never the same again sadly. I'm willing to trust our coaches, who see these lads day in and day out. I'm hoping Bart stays, sometimes it's better to be top of the tree where you are than to bench warm at a bigger club. Anyway, good luck to both players.

0

BlueRich added 13:27 - Jun 5 Nervous of the Michael Crowe decision especially as there is not even a goalkeeping coach at the club.Hope this doesn't come back to bite us in the backside like the Nick Pope decision!
3

MyBlueHeaven added 13:38 - Jun 5 @bluerich - how did the Nick Pope decision come back to bite us on (in?!) the backside?
1

tractorboybig added 14:18 - Jun 5 So taking on loan keepers rather than develop what we have is building for the future
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jas0999 added 14:24 - Jun 5 Odd decision to release Crowe. Good to see clubs already making signings. Let's hope we don't get left behind with a new manager not due to start until 18 June. We will be six weeks behind most clubs.
1

lightingblue added 14:48 - Jun 5 In all fairness to Crowe his probably at that the stage of his career where he would be wanting to be seriously thinking that he has to start games now. At 22 it would be a concern if he wasn't going to get games at the professional level. In regards to bru he would find a club somewhere. Although he was never going to set the world alight, but always did a turn and put in a half decent performance. Good luck to them both

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itfcgene added 15:47 - Jun 5 Personally would love to see Bart play in the premier league for a big club. Would obviously prefer it to be us. Getting our act together time if we want to keep him and the other good ones.
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sh123 added 16:05 - Jun 5 Think it would have been better to keep Crowe and let Gerkin go. Probably would have saved a bit in wages too to use elsewhere
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COYB11 added 16:49 - Jun 5 Would imagine Crowe was more of a mutual parting of ways. I'm sure town would have wanted to keep him, but with Bart (hopefully) staying and Gerken as decent back up, there was little chance of him breaking into the team, despite showing signs of promise/potential through the 6 years we've had him. As for Bru, creative spark at times let down by a lack of physical presence in a demanding league. Always liked him as he tried to get on the ball and make things happen. Good luck to both. COYB!

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