MICK McCarthy will this week step up his efforts to re-sign Richie Wellens on loan from Leicester City.

With Peterborough striker Tyrone Barnett close to putting pen to paper on a short-term deal, McCarthy hasn’t given up hope of adding another midfielder to this ranks.

Restricted to the loan market, or free transfers, Wellens remains McCarthy’s top target and provisional discussions have begun between the Blues boss and Leicester manager Nigel Pearson.

Pearson, who sent his assistant manager Craig Shakespeare to face the press after the Foxes 6-0 rout of Ipswich on Saturday, admitted before the match that he would like to keep Wellens following his one-month loan spell at Portman Road.

But the midfielder was surprisingly left out of City’s 18-man squad at the weekend and he last week told this newspaper that he would have no hesitation in returning to Ipswich – if he couldn’t break into the promotion-chasers side.

If unsuccessful with his renewed bid, McCarthy also admitted he would look to bring in a replacement for Wellens.

But it won’t be Emmanuel Frimpong, the Arsenal midfielder who he hugely admires following a brief loan spell together at Wolves.

Frimpong, 20, today joined Charlton until January and could well face McCarthy’s men when the two sides clash at the Valley on Boxing Day.

Wolves were also interested in the youngster and admitted they will go back in for him in the New Year.

It will be interesting to see if McCarthy opts for a similar strategy after Christmas.