IPSWICH Town are preparing improved offers for transfer targets Joel Ward, Jason Pearce and Nick Powell.

Portsmouth boss Michael Appleton has publicly rejected a double bid – believed to be around �1m – for Ward and Pearce, stating that the offer was ‘a million miles away’ from his valuation of the key duo.

Much could depend on an impending change in ownership at Pompey though, with prospective buyer Joseph Cala having intimated that he may be forced to cut the wage bill at Fratton Park.

Crewe boss Steve Davis denies there has been any contact from Town for teen star Powell, although the EADT understands that a bid – thought to be in excess of �1m – has been made, with the cash-strapped Railwaymen waiting to see if any Premier League clubs make a move for their 17-year-old starlet.

“All three of the bids I talked about last weekend have been rejected,” confirmed Jewell.

“I’ve never been manager of a club that’s accepted a first bid though and I’ve never known a first bid to be accepted by any selling club.”

Reluctant to ‘disrespect’ other clubs by talking about their players, Jewell only opened up about his offers for centre-back Pearce, 24, and versatile midfielder Ward, 22, when learning that counterpart Appleton had commented publicly.

Asked if he’d be making an improved bid, he said: “I don’t know what their valuation is. I’ll get a feel for that over the next day or so and see whether it’s worth pursuing.

“If we’re so far apart it’s no good wasting everybody’s time – ours, Portsmouth’s, the players’. If we can do it, we’re interested; if we can’t, we move on.”

Speaking about the ‘third player’, Jewell said: “We’ve made an offer that we think is reasonable. There’s no mileage in me trying to do these deals if they’re not do-able. In any deal there comes a point where you have to move on – we have got plenty of targets in mind.”

And while he firmly rejected speculation linking him with Swindon players Matt Ritchie and Paul Caddis, as well as free agent Bojan Djordjic, he remained rather more coy when quizzed directly about Powell.

“It’s private that,” said the Blues boss. “If clubs want to come out, like Portsmouth, and say ‘we’ve had bids rejected’ that’s fair enough, but I really don’t want to comment on anybody else.”