Paul Hurst his still planning for Martyn Waghorn to be in the Ipswich Town side for the opening day of the Championship season.

The striker, the subject of intense transfer speculation in recent days, played 90 minutes at Barnet this afternoon as he split his time between a central striking role and playing in the hole behind a frontman.

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder admitted today that his side have bid again for Waghorn having had a £5m offer rebuffed, despite ruling the Blades out as he claimed the Blues had placed a valuation of between £8m-£10m on his head. The likes of Middlesbrough, Nottingham Forest and Derby have all shown an interest.

“We’ve got some targets, we’ve got that bid in for Martyn Waghorn,” Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield.

“It’s out there now, it’s not worth not talking about and we’re looking to bring another two or three players in.”

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“We haven’t had anything back off Ipswich, if it’s been accepted or declined. It’s there and we’ll leave it there and we’ll still obviously look to bring other players in.”

But Hurst insisted he is still planning for last season’s top scorer to remain at Portman Road.

“There’s interest, I was never going to try and deny that, but the situation is as it is,” he said, speaking before news of Sheffield United’s new bid had been made public by Wilder.

“He’s our player, he’s played 90 minutes today where sometimes in these situations we see managers or clubs pulling the player out of the game. If he had been ill today or had a little bit of an injury, not in the squad, that would have just fuelled everything.

“He’s here, he’s played and he’s very much our player until anything changes. At the minute I’m working under the understanding that he’s our player.

“We want him to start hitting the back of the net as he has been doing in training.

“He’s a great lad, you can’t get away from that and he has a smile on his face.

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“But he has an edge and he wants to win. There were a couple of challenges (at Barnet) which were mainly frustration coming out but I’m not going to knock that too much as long as it doesn’t go too far.

“He wants to win. I’m sure they all want to win in the dressing room, but there’s one or two where that all stands out a little more. We’re trying to get to the young players and understand that when they get out onto the pitch they are equals and have to step up. They need that hunger and drive and not be fearful.

“Waggs is a very good pro and an example for the younger lads.”

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Waghorn found the side netting with a whipped free-kick and nearly scored an audacious long-range effort, which Hurst is happy to see his striker attempt.

“In fairness to him I’ve seen players try that when it’s blatantly not on… it’s like ‘what are you doing’ but when he’s trying it it’s on,” the Blues boss said.

“That one today I thought was going in because he’s got that vision, he sees it and that shows an intelligent player.”