CHARLTON may be poised to try and land Ipswich Town skipper Matt Holland before the Premiership deadline tomorrow night.Up until then, top flights club could buy from the under administration Blues and play them this season.

By Dave Allard

CHARLTON may be poised to try and land Ipswich Town skipper Matt Holland before the Premiership deadline tomorrow night.

Up until then, top flights club could buy from the under administration Blues and play them this season.

Addicks boss Alan Curbishley and his assistant Mervyn Day watched Holland have another outstanding game in the Town midfield in Tuesday night's 3-1 home win over Reading.

The Republic of Ireland international made it two goals in two games with an outstanding strike.

For much of the season he was been playing at central defence.

The actual transfer deadline is a week today, but Premiership clubs have imposed their own one tomorrow night.

A Charlton club still with hopes of a place in the UEFA Cup may try and do a deal for a player who rejected a transfer to Aston Villa last summer after a £4 million fee had been agreed.

There is no doubt that Town club need to make a big sale to a Premiership club before tomorrow night's deadline if at all possible.

A London source said: "Curbishley regards Holland very highly. That's why he's watched him so often of late. But whether a deal can be done is another matter.

"I don't know whether it will happen, but I think talks are taking place. Curblishley always buys British players who are tried and trusted. If he does buy a foreigner it is one who has firstly done it in the Premiership.

"Holland fits his bill. But whether a deal can be done is another thing. The interest though is certainly well known."

Aston Villa are known to have sounded out the Blues about 19-year-od midfield man Darren Ambrose and there have been other enquiries.

Manager Joe Royle would only say today: "Anything could happen, who knows. There have been various enquiries, but nothing definite as yet. But who knows what might happen."

"If we have to make a sale, or even two, then we have to. The financial situation is the financial situation and we have to get on with it. We'll still have a squad hopefully strong enough to challenge for the play-offs.

Town continue the promotion play-off bid at home to Brighton on Saturday. They hope to have the midfield pair of Ambrose and Tommy Miller fit again for selection.