REST assured, Operation Blue Boys is well under way.

REST assured, Operation Blue Boys is well under way.

However, Ipswich Town boss Paul Jewell says keeping the identity of transfer targets secret is crucial if he is to succeed in adding more new signings to his squad.

In an attempt to placate Blues supporters desperate to see further fresh faces at Portman Road, Jewell revealed earlier this week that bids were in for a striker and winger.

Numerous players have subsequently been linked but the Town boss has had to maintain a poker-face in the line of questioning.

“We’ve been linked with all sorts of players, all different sorts of names, but I can’t comment on speculation,” said Jewell, whose side play Den Bosch tonight (6pm) in their second game of a week-long pre-season tour of Holland.

“I was speaking to Simon Grayson (Leeds manager) and he said they were in for Lee Bowyer too. I’m sure Premier League clubs were as well.

“We’d been speaking to him for a long while and had tried to keep it as quiet as long as we could, but while he was away on holiday last week we were a bit nervous that someone might come in and beat us to him.

“We’ve made offers for people but we’d rather keep their identities quiet because we’re all chasing the same players.”