Eight centre-backs Ipswich Town could turn to this month

Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna is keen to bolster his back line following the sale of Toto Nsiala to Fleetwood. STUART WATSON looks at some possible centre-back options.

DANNY BATTH (Stoke)

Two League One promotions on his CV - at Wolves and Sheffield Wednesday - and has spent the majority of his career playing in the Championship.

Stoke paid a reported £2m to sign him in 2018 but he now finds himself coming towards the end of a four-year deal.

The 31-year-old has started 10 league games for the play-off chasing Potters this season and was named their Player of the Month for November when playing at at the heart of a back three. 

However, he has slipped down the pecking order following the recent additions of Phil Jagielka and Taylor Harwood-Bellis.

Sheffield Wednesday are reportedly interested in bringing him back to Hillsborough. 

TOM LOCKER (Luton)

Welsh international was part of a Bristol Rovers side that secured back-to-back promotions into League One. 

After three years playing in the third-tier for the Pirates he moved up a league to Charlton. One year on, he was one the move again as newly-promoted Luton triggered a relegation release clause in his contract at The Valley.

Now 27, he has 76 Championship appearances under his belt and is coming towards the end of his deal.

"Very rarely do people walk out of here on a free transfer when we haven’t got it covered, or we haven’t done everything in our power to try that," said boss Nathan Jones back in November.

JORDAN STOREY (Preston)

Came through the youth ranks at Exeter, quickly made a name for himself at the League Two club before soon moving to Preston for what was described as a 'significant undisclosed fee' in 2018.

The 24-year-old has made 88 starts for the Lilywhites, including 18 this season, but hasn't featured since Ryan Lowe took charge as manager in early December.

Lancashire Post reports that Ipswich, Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday have all enquired about taking the 6ft 2in defender on loan, but that 'as yet, no offer which covers a suitable portion of his wages has been made'.

He signed a three-year contract extension at Deepdale back in September. 

ADEN FLINT (Cardiff)

At 6ft 6in tall, Flint is aerially dominant and has chipped in with plenty of goals over the years.

The 32-year-old has made 22 starts for Cardiff in the Championship this season but is now coming towards the end of his contract.

Could Town chief executive Mark Ashton be keen to be re-united with a player that proved talismanic for Bristol City? When selling Flint to Middlesbrough for £7m in 2018, Ashton said: "There has been significant interest in Aden for a lengthy period and it’s the correct time in his career for him to move on. We thank him for everything he has done during his time at the club and we wish him well in the future."

Sunderland, managed by Flint's former Robins boss Lee Johnson, are said to be interested.

HAYDON ROBERTS (Brighton)

The England youth international, just 19, has already been compared to Lewis Dunk by some Brighton fans.

Yet to make his league debut for the Seagulls, Roberts spent last season on loan in League One with relegated Rochdale.

Described as a 'mobile, ball-playing centre-back' he sounds the type, stylistically, that Blues boss McKenna will be after.

Nottingham Forest, Swansea and Leeds are all said to be admirers. Sheffield Wednesday have been linked with a loan move this month.

HORDUR MAGNUSSON (CSKA Moscow)

Big centre-back was signed and sold by Mark Ashton during his time at Bristol City.

The Icelandic international arrived at Ashton Gate from Juventus, after impressing impressing at Euro 2016, and subsequently joined Russian side CSKA Moscow in 2018 after a couple of good seasons in the Championship.

He hasn't played since tearing an Achilles tendon in April last year, but said in a recent interview that he feels ready to go again when the Russian league resumes after a winter break later this month.

Will be out of contract in the summer.

MICHAEL HECTOR (Fulham)

Jamaican international has been at 18 different clubs, ranging from Chelsea and Eintracht Frankfurt to Horsham, Dundalk and Barnet.

A Championship regular at Reading, Hull and Sheffield Wednesday, he currently finds himself down the pecking order at high-flying Fulham and is set to be out of contract in the summer.

If Alfie Mawson leaves the Cottagers to join Birmingham though, as has been speculated, Fulham may not let Hector go this month.

CONNOR GOLDSON (Rangers)

Town have signed Martyn Waghorn, Joe Garner and George Edmundson from Rangers in recent years, could they look to Ibrox again?

Former Shrewsbury and Brighton defender Goldson has been a key figure at the Scottish giants over the last four years but is reportedly reluctant to extend his contract beyond this coming summer.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst has plenty of defensive options, so may reluctantly cash in on the 29-year-old this month. Whether a move to League One would appeal to Goldson is another issue.