Former French U21 international striker Matt Moussilou turned down the chance to join the Blues during the summer, according to reports in France. Nice frontman Moussilou is also said to have decided against moves to Strasbourg, Cardiff City and unnamed sides in the Middle East to stay with his current club.

Moussilou, 26, is unwanted at Nice and spent last season on loan at Al Arabi Doha in Qatar. Prior to that, the 5ft 11in tall striker had been sent for short-term spells at St Etienne and Marseille.

The Parisian made his name during a five-year spell with Lille before he joined Nice for €4 million (at the time around £2.75 million) in 2006. In his first season with his new club Moussilou failed to score in 22 appearances and lost his place in the side.

He remains out of favour with his club's management and was expected to move on in the summer, but with a contract which lasts until the summer of 2010 feels he still has time to make his mark with Les Aiglons.

In 2006 Moussilou was called up to the Congolese national team, but was prevented from playing for the country of his parents' birth by FIFA ruling that because he had previously represented France at U21 level he should have declared for Congo before December 31st, 2005.

Meanwhile, boss Jim Magilton has confirmed that he was interested in signing former Blue Titus Bramble when he left Newcastle for Wigan on a Bosman in the summer of 2007: "Realistically he is a Premier League player and he was always going to be wanted at that level.

"I would not mind having him back here in my team. And I have a feeling that Titus would like to come back one day.”

Bramble returns to Portman Road with the Latics for this evening's third round Carling Cup tie. Steve Bruce's side will be without midfielder Michael Brown, who has remained in Lancashire with his wife who gave birth at the weekend.

Town manager Magilton says he is concerned that Pablo Couñago's ankle injury could prove to be more significant than was initially believed: "It is more worrying than we first thought, but we will see how the visit to London goes.”

The Spaniard, who sustained the injury in training on Friday, was due to undergo a scan in the capital yesterday.

Photo: Action Images

MCGOODERZ added 09:01 - Sep 24 BRAMBLE
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