Blues Linked With Dundee United Keeper and Crewe Winger as Jeffers and Craney Tipped For Staff Roles Sunday, 9th May 2021 09:53 Town are being linked with summer moves for Dundee United goalkeeper Benjamin Siegrist and for previously-linked Crewe winger Owen Dale, while former loanee Franny Jeffers and Ian Craney could join Paul Cook’s backroom staff. According to The Sun on Sunday, the Blues are eyeing a £400,000 move for Swiss-born Siegrist, who joined the Aston Villa youth set-up when 16 having previously been with hometown club FC Therwil and FC Basel. While at Villa the 29-year-old spent time on loan at Burton Albion, Cambridge United, Solihull Moors and Wycombe Wanderers. Having been unable to break into the first team at Villa Park, the 6ft 5in tall keeper, who has been capped by Switzerland at U17, U18, U19 and U21 levels, moved on to Vaduz in Liechtenstein in the summer of 2016 for a fee of £210,000. After two years in which he won the Liechtenstein Football Cup twice, Siegrist departed for Dundee United, with whom he won the Scottish Championship in 2019/20, where former Blues keeper Neil Alexander is the goalkeeping coach and where he is contracted for another year.  The Blues are also again said to be looking at a £600,000 move for 22-year-old Dale, who was previously linked with Town and a number of other clubs at the end of last month. Jeffers is also reported to be a potential member of Cook’s Town backroom team with rumours along those lines having been circulating for the last few days. TWTD understands the former Blues loanee’s name has been mentioned in discussions at Portman Road, perhaps as a candidate for the assistant manager’s role. Other potential contenders include current U23s coach Kieron Dyer, former Blues forward Noel Hunt and ex-defender John McGreal, although the latter seems less likely as he is believed to be keen to manage a club of his own.  Jeffers, now 40, spent a successful spell on loan with the Blues between March and May 2007, scoring four times in seven starts and two sub appearances. The former striker came through the ranks at hometown club Everton before moving to Arsenal for £8 million in June 2001. While at Highbury he won one full England cap and scored before returning to Goodison Park on loan. Spells with Charlton, Rangers (loan) and Blackburn followed before he moved to the Blues for his loan spell. After his time with Town, Jeffers played at Sheffield Wednesday, in Australia with Newcastle Jets in two spells, Motherwell, Floriana in Malta and finally Accrington Stanley. Having hung up his boots, Jeffers started voluntarily working at Everton's academy before formally joining the staff in October 2016. He has been their U23s coach since 2018. Cook also reportedly wants Craney to join his staff at Portman Road. Liverpool-born former midfielder Craney, 38, played alongside manager Cook at Accrington Stanley and was his kitman at Wigan Athletic. 
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