Cardiff boss Dave Jones has confirmed that the Blues have made enquiries regarding Michael Chopra but says the money on offer is less than the Bluebirds still owe Sunderland for the striker. Town manager Roy Keane refused to comment on his reported interest in the 26-year-old after this afternoon's defeat to West Ham.

Jones said: "Roy has made enquiries about him, but the money they are offering is less than what we owe Sunderland.

"Chops is happy here, but, like everyone else, he wants to see people come in. I've spoken to his agent a lot over the last week and he is happy for Chops to stay here. Why would I want sell one of my best players unless it's a knock-out punch?

"Most of the players have had enquiries about them, particularly when a club is reported to be in financial trouble. I would do exactly the same thing. That's always going to happen."

Cardiff paid an initial £500,000 for Chopra a year ago and recently renegotiated the terms of a second payment of £1.5 million which was due this month. The overall fee for the ex-England U21 international is believed to be at least £3 million, although some reports have claimed it was as high as £4 million.

Meanwhile, Keane says that he is looking to strengthen his strikeforce, but wouldn’t be drawn specifically into commenting on Chopra: “It’s an area of the club we certainly have to look at. I’ve spoken to Dave Jones regularly while I was trying to buy Mark Kennedy and we have had conversations about all sorts of players.

“But I think we have to be respectful to Dave, to Cardiff and to Chops. There are a number of strikers that we’re interested in and I think it would be wrong for me to say which players we’re interested in.”

Keane was pleased with his side’s display against the Hammers: “It was a very good game, we’ve no new injuries that I’m aware of and a few of the young lads got a run out. I thought it was played with good intensity, there was a good pace to the game.

“Again, like the PSV game, we failed to score and obviously that’s something which is a concern for us, but the application of the players was very, very good.

“In terms of the game we had the better chances but they put the ball in the back of the net. That’s the hardest part of football and we failed to do that again today.”

Meanwhile, TWTD understands that Owen Garvan will undergo a medical at Crystal Palace on Monday, Keane having confirmed that the £225,000 deal taking the Irish U21 international to Selhurst Park will probably be completed early in the week.

Story syndicated from TWTD.co.uk

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