ALAN Lee has rejected the improved offer by Ipswich Town that would make him the club's highest paid player.The Blues are desperate to keep Lee but face competition from Hull City who have failed with two bids so far, the second understood to be around £600,000.

By Derek Davis

ALAN Lee has rejected the improved offer by Ipswich Town that would make him the club's highest paid player.

The Blues are desperate to keep Lee but face competition from Hull City who have failed with two bids so far, the second understood to be around £600,000.

Lee still has a year on his current Town deal and is known to be happy at Portman Road and negotiations are continuing.

But with a carrot believed to be £8,000 a week being dangled by Hull, if they can agree a fee with Town, he is understandably keen to get as good a new contract as he can from his current employers.

Town chairman David Sheepshanks accepts that if Hull went high enough they would reluctantly sell him but want to keep Lee even though he has indicated he wants a better offer from Ipswich.

He said: “We have spoken about a new contract with Alan. I don't know that it meets with his valuation at the moment but it is an improved, extended contract that would make him the highest paid player at the club. We will have to see how this plays out.

“We want Alan to stay as it is important to have competition in the striker department. We have seven strikers if you include Jordan Rhodes who is knocking on the door and Dean Bowditch.”

Sheepshanks confirmed that Derby County are showing interest in taking unsettled Lewis Price but dismissed reports that Gavin Williams and Owen Garvan are also on their way out.