IPSWICH Town owner Marcus Evans is keeping a strict financial rein on manager Roy Keane with little money available to bolster his squad.

Elvin King

IPSWICH Town owner Marcus Evans is keeping a strict financial rein on manager Roy Keane with little money available to bolster his squad.

Keane has been told he will have to sell players before he can bring in newcomers.

The Blues boss' predecessor Jim Magilton was given �12million with which to build a promotion-winning team in January 2008. Magilton failed and subsequently paid the penalty, and Evans is currently not prepared to put any more significant money into the player budget.

Keane is having to work on much stricter financial guidelines, and he said: “I'm not in a position to spend millions here.

“As small a squad as I have got I need to ship one or two out before I can bring one or two in.”

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce confirmed yesterday that talks have resumed with Keane over a possible purchase of striker-cum-midfielder Daryl Murphy.

“Talks are ongoing as I understand it and we will just have to wait and see if these talks come to anything,” said Bruce.

Murphy is believed to have had a medical at Portman Road last month, but then the proposed move broke down with Murphy interesting Hull City.

Personal terms were believed to be the reason Murphy turned down Town's original approaches.

Although a move to Hull eventually came to nothing, Bruce is keen to sell Murphy and he doesn't have him in his plans.

There is unlikely to be any movement before tonight's Coca-Cola Championship game against Crystal Palace at Portman Road (kick-off 7.45pm) with Keane adding: “We are no closer to bringing anyone in than we were at the weekend.

“And I don't expect anything to happen in the next 24 or 48 hours.

“We are short at the moment in terms of promotion, and you can't get away from that fact.

“We may have to wait a couple more weeks, however, and be patient. We will miss David Norris, and the instinct is to replace him yesterday.

“But it takes time although we have our targets in mind. David's injury has added to our midfield scrutiny but we are looking at all sections of the squad.”

Keane has spent around �2.5million this summer on Tamas Priskin, Lee Martin, Damien Delaney, Colin Healy and company, but he has brought in over half this with the sale of Jordan Rhodes, Danny Haynes and Velice Shumulikoski.

With more cash at Keane's disposal the chances are ace goal poacher Rhodes would not have departed, while the likes of Pablo Counago and Alan Quinn are reported to be next in line for a possible move out.