ALEX Bruce has been offered a new contract to stay with Ipswich Town, but Blues boss Jim Magilton he could lose him and striker Alan Lee.

Derek Davis

ALEX Bruce has been offered a new contract to stay with Ipswich Town, but Blues boss Jim Magilton he could lose him and striker Alan Lee.

Bruce has seemingly dropped down the pecking order as a centre half with teenager Tommy Smith and skipper Gareth McAuley chosen ahead of him in the championship season opener against Preston last Saturday, that town lost 2-1.

He was reinstated alongside Richard Naylor in the 4-1 win against Leyton Orient and played very well but with just a year left on his current contract may look elsewhere.

Magilton said: “Alex is coming into the last year of his contract and we are in discussions with his agent about giving him a new contract. He is a young player who has played more games for me than any other manager and he has done very well.

“If we can come to an agreement we will if we can't then I can't do any more. At the moment he is still part of our plans and is going nowhere.”

Bruce has subsequently been linked with both Leeds United and Burnley, although Clarets' boss Owen Coyle has dismissed reports he is after the centre half.

Coyle said: “I speak to Jim Magilton quite a lot and as much as I think the boy's a good player, it's not a name we've ever discussed.

“We're still looking to strengthen, there's no doubt about it. I've got a couple of things out there, and if one comes back, we'll move quickly on it.

“As it is, we have to continue to do our best in that field. We're looking, as I have all summer, because it's an area we would love to strengthen.

“Numerically, we don't have a lot of different variations, so the search continues, and if the right player comes along, we'll try to move on him.”

Magilton knows his players will attract interest and played down reports he could be about to sell striker Lee.

He said: “It is nice that we have players that other clubs like.

“Neil Warnock has shown an interest in Alan Lee. He has not approached us but has made it known and we will see what happens there.”

Burnley could rekindle their interest after initially being linked last January, while Hull City were in for Lee last summer, although managed promotion to the Premier League without him.