Birmingham City are reportedly ready to offer the Blues £3 million for keeper Bartosz Bialkowski and Town may make a loan move for Bolton’s Ben Amos as his replacement.

Birmingham’s interest in Bialkowski first emerged on Friday and, according to The Sun on Sunday, the Midlanders are willing to make a £3 million bid for the Polish international.

While it would be a hugely unpopular move with fans, Town may well be prepared to take an offer of around that size for the 31-year-old rather than risk losing one of their most highly-prized assets on a free transfer next summer.

Bialkowski is contracted to the Blues until the end of June 2019, the club having exercised the option for a further year on his contract at the end of last season.

But the former Southampton and Notts County man is still to put pen to paper on the new deal ex-boss Mick McCarthy said had been agreed in January.

Speaking in April, Bialkowski said his agent was continuing to talk to owner Marcus Evans regarding the new terms.

The Sun claims Town could look to replace Bialkowski, the club’s Player of the Year for the last three seasons, with Amos, 28.

The 6ft 3in tall former Crewe Alexandra and Manchester United trainee spent last season on loan with Charlton in League One where he was ever-present, making 50 starts.

Macclesfield-born Amos made seven senior appearances for the Red Devils while at Old Trafford but spent much of his time out on loan, featuring for Peterborough, Molde, Oldham, Hull City, Carlisle and Bolton before making his switch to the Trotters permanent in 2015 when he signed a four-year deal.

However, having dropped to second choice at the Macron Stadium, he joined Cardiff on loan for 2016/17 - making 16 starts - and then the Addicks last season.

Despite not having played for Bolton for two years and appearing to be out of their long-term plans, Amos, who was linked with Millwall last month, went on their pre-season training camp in Scotland.

“Ben’s with the first team now and we’ll see what happens, whether a club comes in for him,” manager Phil Parkinson told The Bolton News.

“You can see he had a good year with Charlton. He came back and worked very hard with [goalkeeper-coach] Lee [Butler] and the other keepers so you really don’t know what might happen.

“There have been one or two enquiries but I think his confidence has been helped enormously.”

On Friday, Scottish reports linked with the Blues with Wes Foderingham, who is set to depart Rangers this summer, and it is believed Town have made preliminary contact regarding the 27-year-old, who is also viewed as a possible replacement should Bialkowski move on.

Summer interest in Bialkowski, who is currently away having been given time off following the World Cup, had been widely expected due to his contract situation and with Crystal Palace having targeted him in January.

Elsewhere in Sunday's papers, AFC Bournemouth are reported to be willing to offload former Blues left-back Tyrone Mings to Nottingham Forest after an injury-hit three years with the Cherries.

Mings, 25, has made 11 starts and four sub appearances - four starts and one sub appearance last season - since moving to Dean Court for an initial £8 million in June 2015.

Photos: TWTD/Action Images

Edmundo added 13:27 - Jul 8 According to the News of the World mk 2. Unless they've been bugging phones again I'd say this is a pile of ****
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Bluebongo added 13:53 - Jul 8 The only reason Bart would leave Town for Birmingham would be a wage increase. If we could,nt match their wages wemust be well and truly in the ****.
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bobble added 13:54 - Jul 8 i would be expecting the new manager to make him captain this year, but nothing surprises me with towns attitude to bart, remember when mick refused to play him for a year and chose gerken who is not as good ? what was that all about ? sumtimes i think mick was as bad as the dark lord until i sober up....
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TimmyH added 13:56 - Jul 8 Get lost Birmingham...£3M not even close but sadly a number of us on here did think that he would be going this summer...if he is to go please don't sell him to a club in this division.
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itfcgene added 13:57 - Jul 8 He's worth 3 times that much. Why not pay him what he wants to keep him and then sell him for closer to what he's worth? Still come out on top and maybe even afford to keep him - if we keep our star players who knows where we'll end up?
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RegencyBlue added 14:12 - Jul 8 The dilemma here is that whilst he is worth more than £3 million on paper he isn't worth anything to us if we allow his contract to run out and Birmingham, and any other interested parties, know it. If he won't sign a new contract we have to sell, simple as that, but trying to replace the best keeper in the Championship with a loan keeper who spent last season in League 1 has Evans penny pinching fingerprints all over it!

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ChrisFelix added 14:22 - Jul 8 So with gerkin injured & Bart on holiday who is keeping goal in Spain
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BeattiesBackPocket added 14:44 - Jul 8 It always makes me wonder why keepers are priced so much lower than strikers! He's probably got us 20 points past two three seasons under guff football no different to what strikers are worth a season!? For me he's worth at least twice that and again will be pivotal for us next season! Also memo for the owners stop selling players to our championship rivals that makes no sense! If he goes and possibly Waghorn our two best players by a country mile last season go youwatch the season ticket direct debits get cancelled!

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Bergholtblue added 16:52 - Jul 8 "Town may well be prepared to take an offer of around that size for the 31-year-old rather than risk losing one of their most highly-prized assets on a free transfer next summer." Sign him up on a new contract then..... PRONTO!
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jas0999 added 16:57 - Jul 8 So, Birmingham - a struggling side can afford three million - as can Bristol City who are with the greatest respect to them, a small club. If we are to sell Bart, then we MUST replace with a permanent addition. A loan is no use as we look to build a squad. By all means use the loan sysyem to Top Up the squad. But if you lose a key player they have to be permanently replaced.

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BluePatriot added 17:02 - Jul 8 This is taking the piss, how can a football club be so deluded
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Swn98 added 17:19 - Jul 8 Frankie man Hursts way? surely there's only one way to play in goal.
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BraveDave added 17:21 - Jul 8 I would be as disappointed as anyone else if Bart goes, but we HAVE to trust in PH. The deal with our new manager is that he over performs at relatively unfancied clubs, getting players from lower leagues and creating a team that over achieves. Normally I would be questioning these moves, but for PH to deliver as he has done at his other clubs, he is inevitably going to do things that raise eyebrows, but we have to trust him as that is what we 'signed up to' when we brought him in. Of course time will tell, but threats by some to cancel season tickets at this stage are just ridiculous.

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Swn98 added 17:33 - Jul 8 you got what you wished for now it seems to be unravelling fast long long season ahead.
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armchaircritic59 added 17:55 - Jul 8 According to that well known fish and chip wrapper "The Sun On Sunday"? I wouldn't even believe the date at the top of the front page, till i double checked it! That goes for a lot of papers as far as i'm concerned, not just "the red tops" . They're usually trying to invent their own stories, rather than report on what is actually happening! Just as a matter of interest, i wonder how many were jumping up and down in delight when we first signed Bart, thinking he's going to be the best or one of the best keepers in the divison? What i'm saying is, if he leaves for anyone, wish him the best of luck and you never know, his replacement might be another Bart, given a chance!

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ScottCandage added 19:01 - Jul 8 This has to end. Give Bart 24 hours to sign his contract or be transfer listed and put on gardening leave. I desperately want him in goal at Town but the club has to get themselves out of this position.
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blues1 added 19:02 - Jul 8 Swn98. Just the kind of stupid comment id expect from u. Ur hero McCarthy has gone. Get over it. And no1 else wants him. Should tell u everything u need to know. Selling a goalkeeper however good hes been will not and never would define how a teams season would go.
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BeattiesBackPocket added 19:36 - Jul 8 Yes Swn98 the budgie answer is as to why your messiah McCarthy is not at another club yet as he is sooooo highly rated!? Get over it if Bart goes I think it'll have less to do withhurst more to do with Evans!
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Swn98 added 19:37 - Jul 8 Time will tell blue1 however if you sell your key players and replace them with league 1 and 2 players we are not going to achieve much.
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BeattiesBackPocket added 19:40 - Jul 8 P.s Swn98 I have NEVER heard a fellow ipswich fan want a new manager to fail so much just so you can be petty and say “you got what you wish for” even those that didn't lie mick didn't want the club to fail!! I think Norwich City have their own fan forum
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Swn98 added 19:42 - Jul 8 Beatties back pocket strange i never mention MM hes gone you and your pals keep bringing him up.
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BeattiesBackPocket added 19:42 - Jul 8 So answer why is he not at another club if so valued as a manager? Nope didn't think there'd be an answer from you you just carry on hoping the club fail under a new manager pathetic to say the least! And getting lower league players is also what mick did remember nouble lol
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Swn98 added 19:50 - Jul 8 Seeing you keep bringing it up i'm lead to believe that he's covering the world cup for talksport, I am sure when a clubs in trouble come November they will be knocking on his door to save them just as Town did . You mention the not to good players what about all the good experienced players he bought in.
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blues1 added 20:05 - Jul 8 Swn98. Amos is not a lge1 or lge 2 player for a start. Whereas Bart was. A free transfer fromnotts county. So ur point is?
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blues1 added 20:10 - Jul 8 Beatties back pocket. If bart does go which is far from becoming reality, i think youll find its very much hursts decision to let him go. Hes made it quite clear that anyone who doesnt want to play for him can go.
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