EVERTON have confirmed their interest in signing out-of-contract Ipswich star Jermaine Wright.But there is unlikely to be the speedy conclusion that Town boss Joe Royle would prefer, with the 28-year-old midfielder also weighing up an approach from Leeds.

EVERTON have confirmed their interest in signing out-of-contract Ipswich star Jermaine Wright.

But there is unlikely to be the speedy conclusion that Town boss Joe Royle would prefer, with the 28-year-old midfielder also weighing up an approach from Leeds.

Royle said today: “I spoke to David Moyes, the Everton manager, on the phone and he told me he would like to sign Jamma.

“But David also made it clear that the deal is not as far advanced as I had been led to believe. It seems there is still a lot of negotiating to be done.”

Ipswich had hoped that Wright would make a decision before the weekend, when the Town manager heads for Portugal and a stint as a BBC TV co-commentator at Euro 2004.

But Royle cannot afford to delay his search for a midfield replacement until his return and expects to be busy on the other end of his mobile phone during the tournament.

Knowing Wright is probably on his way, Royle will have identified a number of potential targets and declared his interest, asking their agents to keep him informed over the next few weeks.

He added: “Jermaine Wright is clearly the least likely of all the players who have been offered new contracts to actually agree and sign a new deal.

“But they all have until June 28 and are perfectly within their rights to wait until then before informing the club of their decision.”