Dundee United manager Micky Mellon said there is “nothing to report on anything at the minute” when asked about his loan interest in Blues striker James Norwood, who played for him at his former club Tranmere Rovers.

TWTD reported that the Terrors were keen on Norwood and defender Toto Nsiala last month, with stories in Scotland earlier this week indicating that the Scottish Premiership side were working on a loan deal for the 29-year-old frontman, who joined the Blues from Tranmere on a free transfer last summer.

Asked about that interest in Norwood, Mellon responded without mentioning the striker by name.

“We wouldn’t speak about anybody’s players until we had something to speak about,” he told the Dundee Courier.

“We are trying to recruit honestly and it is an ongoing thing for us. If we believe there is someone who will come in and make us better we would try to do that but I would never speak about somebody else’s player — I wouldn’t do that.

“I would wait until it was respectful to them because I would expect them to be that way with us.

“So there is nothing to report on anything at the minute. We are not at a stage where I can say: ‘There’s somebody here and he’s getting a medical'. There is nothing close to that at the moment.”

Quizzed on whether anyone would be signed before tomorrow’s home game with Celtic, he added: “Listen, who knows? These things can happen overnight. These things can take a long time. These things might never happen.

“Until there is somebody here in the building then I don’t have anything I can help you with or report on. There is nothing imminent.”

Norwood, who is contracted to Town until the summer of 2022 with the club having an option for a further season, netted 11 times in 2019/20, despite being hampered by a groin injury for much of the campaign.

Town are not looking to offload Norwood this summer, while the Scottish Premiership side would struggle to cover his Portman Road wages.

Additionally, given the constraints of the League One salary cap, if Norwood were to move on Town would find it difficult to bring in another striker of a similar standard.

Norwood didn’t feature in the Blues’ friendlies at Colchester on Tuesday as he is continuing the rehabilitation from the groin operation he underwent in February. It’s unlikely he will be involved at Tottenham tomorrow but he may play some part when West Ham visit Portman Road on Tuesday.

Photo: TWTD

Suffolkboy added 10:38 - Aug 21 It's all very much clouded in and shrouded in a conundrum and mystery ! It does,however , seem a very long time for substantive recovery though none of us are clinicians or medics . Not sure when it happened , but climbing into your house from the roof of a car appears a bit foolish in any circumstances , let alone if perhaps going through a recovery period ! N is certainly his own man ,and a character but we do need a disciplined regime to bring him to match fitness ASAP ! Come on JN and COYB

3

SaigonTractor added 10:54 - Aug 21 I can't imagine why we'd let this happen, but I'm a little bit worried that this story isn't going away.
9

timkatieadamitfc added 12:13 - Aug 21 Absolutely @ SaigonTractor, it would be just madness to let him go given these new unfair restraints put on the bigger clubs in this division, and given the fact that if we can get him fit he's a 20/25 striker at this level I believe. Why don't we just come out and say you can buy for xxxmillion or he's going nowhere, especially on loan. I know this once great club has fallen but if we start to lose our better players to mediocre Scottish teams then we may as well fekin all give up.

12

blues1 added 12:29 - Aug 21 Suffolkboy. His rehab is taking so long, bcse it was interrupted by the lockdown.
1

peteswindon added 13:07 - Aug 21 What a stupid story, why would we let him leave ??
3

DurhamTownFan added 13:09 - Aug 21 Why would we let him go? Because perhaps he's fallen out with Lambert and doesn't want to stay? This ‘rehab' story is I think a cover for us just not playing him before a move? On paper, he's the best we have. But if his heart isn't in it and he wants to go, personally I'd rather let him leave and have people to build for the next couple of years.
2

JDAndCoke added 13:10 - Aug 21 Understand that these things are no more than just rumours most of the time however this has been going on for a while. Not usually the done thing but I think someone (Norwood or the club) needs to offer some clarity on this situation. The longer it goes on, the more animosity builds and there seems to be growing discontent between the player and fans which will only grow if this story continues.

5

Jesney_Havoc added 13:26 - Aug 21 "Micky Mellon" ? really ?
0

Jesney_Havoc added 13:26 - Aug 21 "Micky Mellon" ? really ?
0

leftie1972 added 13:34 - Aug 21 I really don't think there is any story here. At least I hope not. I don't think he should be sold or sent out on loan, he is a big part of getting us out of this league.
5

multiplescoregasms added 14:19 - Aug 21 I honestly didn't realise that they were looking at a loan deal. I am sure this is a nothing story, but perhaps the club should say so, just to end speculation among the Itfc fans. Imagine the uproar if he went out on loan. I think it would be a disaster for the club/fan relationship.
4

Carberry added 14:52 - Aug 21 Communicate with the customers, what makes you think that will start now?
-2

runningout added 15:41 - Aug 21 I'm curious why this move is on the cards. More to it than meets the eye!!
1

Michael101 added 15:58 - Aug 21 Dead right carberry,when have itfc taken any notice of what the supporters think??
1

sixtyblue added 16:02 - Aug 21 Why aren't the club commenting on this.As far as I am concerned if this happens I will cancel season ticket in an instant.Letting your senior players go If you have ambitions is not the way to treat supporters. If there is not any truth in this the club should acknowledge it.
0

not_a_witty_name added 16:33 - Aug 21 Sorry runningout, didn't mean to click down on your post
0

Bert added 17:41 - Aug 21 Michanel 101 - the club listened to supporters and appointed a young hungry manager. Look where that got us.
1

BeattiesBackPocket added 18:03 - Aug 21 Bert you're taking rubbish again they don't listen to fans if so we'd have invested more in wages and been challenging in the championship like the owner promised we should be not languishing in league one! We know the owner lied about challenging as we had the 5th lowest wage budget in that league and consequently went down as well as mick saying he's remit was to keep us up, the 5 point plan starts every season for the past ten years? Yeah really listens to the fans 🙄

1

Skip73 added 19:40 - Aug 21 Only Ipswich could let their joint top scorer go ON LOAN. I don't think it will happen, but wouldn't be surprised if it did with the way they are mismanaged.
5

BettyBlue added 20:12 - Aug 21 Think the worst and ITFC deliver. He obviously fell out with the manager and team, why else would you refuse to travel on the team bus? But why would you loan Norwood, doesn't Evans want some cash, at least Lambert needs some cash for even more crap players. Norwood has turned out to be crap, get rid of him and his ego.
3

Hipsterectomy added 00:08 - Aug 22 Dundee United are probably the equivalent of Colchester United
0

ringwoodblue added 09:54 - Aug 22 I agree Norwood didn't have a great first season but it would be crazy to let him or Jackson go when we need all the firepower we can get especially with our suspect defence. Think we must keep him for another year and see how he performs, then decide.
0

RegencyBlue added 09:56 - Aug 22 This story just does not go away. The club could kill it in an instant with an appropriate statement, the fact they haven't makes me think something is going on behind the scenes.
0

Bolton56 added 10:33 - Aug 22 This is beginning to remind me of the waghorn saga
0

Linkboy13 added 10:56 - Aug 22 Too much of a bad influence for me, let him go. Plenty of pubs in Dundee he'll enjoy it up there with his mate Micky Mellon. Couple of Mellon's together.
0

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls