PAUL Jewell has distanced himself from a move for Doncaster midfielder James Coppinger – while admitting he faces a battle to land Portsmouth’s Joel Ward.

The two relegated players were among the first linked with a move to Ipswich this summer after Jewell came close to signing the pair over the last 12 months.

Ward, who had a successful hernia operation this week, met with the Town boss in March before opting to stay with the south coast club and help them in their ultimately doomed fight against the Championship drop,

While Coppinger, who this week admitted he would be very interested in a move to Suffolk, was a top target for Jewell last summer but a deal could not be reached.

The Ipswich manager said: “Joel is one we are interested in, but there are a few clubs in for him.

“While James was keen this time last year, then he signed a new contract at Doncaster. We thought it might happen last year but now I don’t think it will happen again.”

Speaking after Doncaster’s 3-2 defeat by Ipswich on the final day of the season, Coppinger said: “I think Ipswich is a great club. I have some friends who have played at Ipswich in the past and they speak highly of the club and the place.

“With them being in the Championship and also an ambitious club, it is always somewhere you would look to go.

“At this stage in my career and life, it wouldn’t put me off moving to Suffolk. You just want to play at the highest standard you can for as long as you can.”

But Jewell appears to have moved on to other targets, including trying to successfully end his long search for a commanding centre-back and a new goalkeeper, a position he describes as a “key acquisition”.

He added: “It is quite a strange time because most of football is still playing. But the football club is evolving all the time. I am speaking to managers, players and agents all the time.

“I only want people who are as committed as I am. If they are not, it doesn’t matter what their track record is, its not going to work. They have to be prepared to come here and give it everything they have got.”