IPSWICH Town manager Paul Jewell says there will be no new additions to his wafer-thin squad ahead of Saturday’s game at Middlesbrough.

The Blues boss has been trying desperately to land reinforcements since the loan window reopened on Monday, but admitted this morning that he has now switched his focus towards preparing for his side’s trip to the Riverside.

Southend United centre-back Bilel Mohsni was on trial at the end of last week and scored in a 6-0 second string win over Cardiff. However, Jewell – who wanted to see more of the 25-year-old before making a decision – says the prospect of that becoming a loan deal is now over after the Frenchman rejected the offer of an extended trial.

Cologne centre-back Kevin Pezzoni has been on trial for three days this week, with Jewell yet to decide whether to take his interest in the 6ft 5in German any further. The 23-year-old has been made available on a free transfer after reportedly becoming the subject of a vicious hate campaign among some of the recently-relegated Bundesliga club’s supporters.

“We’ve tried to improve the squad,” said Jewell. “We know we need another centre-half to come in and provide cover for what we’ve got.

“We’ve had a couple of triallists come in. We wanted Mohsni to stay for another week but he decided against that and has gone back to Paris. That’s over now.

“We’ve had Kevin Pezzoni in for three days this week since Tuesday. It’s been well-documented the situation he has at Cologne, he’s available on a free transfer.

“I spoke to his father and I’ll be speaking to his agent to let them know the decision.”

Meanwhile, Jewell says signing Peterborough midfielder Goegre Boyd on loan is ‘not his priority’ after a permanent deal for the playmaker fell through due to personal terms just prior to the window closing at the end of last month.

“Barry Fry came on the phone to me last week to ask about George Boyd because I’d made comments in the press about him – all I’d done was just answer the question,” said the Blues boss.

“There might well still be a loan situation, but that’s not our priority at the moment.”

And the on-going saga surrounding long-term triallist Cheick Kourouma continues to drag on, with the club confirming the teenage French midfielder will soon be officially signed following months of paperwork issues.

– See tomorrow’s EADT and Ipswich Star for all the latest Blues news.