IPSWICH Town are considering making a move for out-of-favour Fulham keeper Antti Niemi.Blues boss Jim Magilton is seeking a new keeper with a permanent deal for Stephen Bywater on the back burner and it appears Thomas Sorensen has slipped off the radar.

Derek Davis

IPSWICH Town are considering making a move for out-of-favour Fulham keeper Antti Niemi.

Blues boss Jim Magilton is seeking a new keeper with a permanent deal for Stephen Bywater on the back burner and it appears Thomas Sorensen has slipped off the radar.

While no offer has yet been made for the Finn, who turned 36 last weekend, it is understood the Blues are showing an interest and Niemi fits the bill for the type of experienced keeper they require.

Bywater is still waiting to hear if Town want to keep him after playing the latter part of the season for them while on loan from Derby who have made it clear he will be Paul Jewell's number three.

Blues chief executive Derek Bowden last night said: “We have made no firm decisions yet on goalkeepers. It is still very open.”

The former Copenhagen, Rangers, Hearts, and Southampton stopper, won 67 caps for Finland and played 22 Premier League games for the Cottagers last season before Kasey Keller took his place in March.

Manager Roy Hodgson has recently added Mark Schwarzer to his squad leaving Niemi to search for a new club.

Town have also been linked with Carlisle keeper Kieran Westwood, who was in the recent Republic of Ireland squad with Owen Garvan and Alex Bruce, and Northampton's American gloveman Mark Bunn.

But it is unlikely Town will go for young players as they look for experience and prefer to bring through their own home-grown talent.

One keeper looking very likely to be at Portman Road for pre-season is Shane Supple, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Falkirk.

Town have no plans to release him or allow him out on loan again and Bowden insisted: “Shane is coming back to open arms. He is still very welcome here and very much part of the squad.”

Until Magilton has decided on whom his keepers will be, the Blues will not firm up the appointment of a goalkeeping coach in the wake of Andy Rhodes' departure.

Bowden said: “Until we have resolved the goalkeeping situation then we will focus on a goalkeeping coach. Andy has moved on and we will now put a decision on a new goalkeeping coach on hold.”

As well as a keeper the Blues are looking to bring in another two or three players, but holidays and international games have meant business has been slow.

Bowden said: “It is early days but people are beginning to come back from holiday and things may start to move.

“There is no great rush although we would like to see three or four new faces by the beginning of the new season.”

One of those players who has been away on international duty is Jaime Peters who scored for Canada as they drew 2-2 with Panama in a friendly ahead of their World Cup qualifying match with St Vincent & the Grenadines.