WITH Ivan Campo in the bag, Blues boss Jim Magilton is closing in on a left back next with Chris Armstrong, who is also among his list of targets.

Derek Davis

WITH Ivan Campo in the bag, Blues boss Jim Magilton is closing in on a left back next, with Sheffield United's Chris Armstrong, among his list of targets.

While national media reports of a £440,000 bid already made may be wide of the mark and most certainly premature, the defender, who turned 26 on Tuesday, is a player Magilton is known to be keen on although the Blades are reluctant to sell.

Initial enquiries have been made at boardroom level but Blades boss is not keen to allow Armstrong, or his team-mate Derek Geary who has also attracted interest, to leave as he is not overly endowed with full backs.

Blackwell said: “First it was Michael Tonge going to West Brom or Derby now it seems Chris is going to Ipswich. They are both still here and what I can say categorically is that no one from any club has been in contact with me about them.

“What amazes me even more is that I can actually read how much Chris is going for. I don't know where any of this has come from.”

There is a question mark over whether Newcastle-born Armstrong would pass a medical after suffering with a knee problem for years.

It even got to the stage where he was offered a £250,000 insurance pay-out to pack in playing, he even considered becoming a plumber, but he was persuaded by Neil Warnock to carry on and has made more than 100 appearances for the Blades.

Although he played for England Under-20s, Armstrong is on the verge of a full Scotland call up after qualifying via a grandmother and has played in a B international against an Ireland side that included Alex Bruce and Jon Walters.

Considered a tenacious tackler, Armstrong started his career at Bury and then went to Oldham before joining United and has also had a loan sell at Blackpool.