Birmingham City are reportedly ready to offer the Blues £3 million for keeper Bartosz Bialkowski and Town may make a loan move for Bolton’s Ben Amos as his replacement.

Birmingham’s interest in Bialkowski first emerged on Friday and, according to The Sun on Sunday, the Midlanders are willing to make a £3 million bid for the Polish international.

While it would be a hugely unpopular move with fans, Town may well be prepared to take an offer of around that size for the 31-year-old rather than risk losing one of their most highly-prized assets on a free transfer next summer.

Bialkowski is contracted to the Blues until the end of June 2019, the club having exercised the option for a further year on his contract at the end of last season.

But the former Southampton and Notts County man is still to put pen to paper on the new deal ex-boss Mick McCarthy said had been agreed in January.

Speaking in April, Bialkowski said his agent was continuing to talk to owner Marcus Evans regarding the new terms.

The Sun claims Town could look to replace Bialkowski, the club’s Player of the Year for the last three seasons, with Amos, 28.

The 6ft 3in tall former Crewe Alexandra and Manchester United trainee spent last season on loan with Charlton in League One where he was ever-present, making 50 starts.

Macclesfield-born Amos made seven senior appearances for the Red Devils while at Old Trafford but spent much of his time out on loan, featuring for Peterborough, Molde, Oldham, Hull City, Carlisle and Bolton before making his switch to the Trotters permanent in 2015 when he signed a four-year deal.

However, having dropped to second choice at the Macron Stadium, he joined Cardiff on loan for 2016/17 - making 16 starts - and then the Addicks last season.

Despite not having played for Bolton for two years and appearing to be out of their long-term plans, Amos, who was linked with Millwall last month, went on their pre-season training camp in Scotland.

“Ben’s with the first team now and we’ll see what happens, whether a club comes in for him,” manager Phil Parkinson told The Bolton News.

“You can see he had a good year with Charlton. He came back and worked very hard with [goalkeeper-coach] Lee [Butler] and the other keepers so you really don’t know what might happen.

“There have been one or two enquiries but I think his confidence has been helped enormously.”

On Friday, Scottish reports linked with the Blues with Wes Foderingham, who is set to depart Rangers this summer, and it is believed Town have made preliminary contact regarding the 27-year-old, who is also viewed as a possible replacement should Bialkowski move on.

Summer interest in Bialkowski, who is currently away having been given time off following the World Cup, had been widely expected due to his contract situation and with Crystal Palace having targeted him in January.

Elsewhere in Sunday's papers, AFC Bournemouth are reported to be willing to offload former Blues left-back Tyrone Mings to Nottingham Forest after an injury-hit three years with the Cherries.

Mings, 25, has made 11 starts and four sub appearances - four starts and one sub appearance last season - since moving to Dean Court for an initial £8 million in June 2015.

Photos: TWTD/Action Images

Swn98 added 20:16 - Jul 8 blues1 We are getting rid of our best players and i include the probability that Waghorn and or Garner could be gone and replacing them with league 1 and 2 players thats my point.
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Swn98 added 20:23 - Jul 8 Blues1 have you read Amos cv not very inspiring especially his spell between the posts for Bolton the season they were relegated.
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blues1 added 20:43 - Jul 8 And u think its the purely the goalkeepers fault they conceded the number of goals the did rather than the defence in front of him? And waghorns going nowhere. Ur also typical of those of our fans who cant make their minds up. When wexwere signing oldercexperienced players ur calling for young hungry players from thelower leagues. Now we are signing exactly that kind of player youre still whinging. Try getting behind the club insteadvof constantly slagging them off

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TimmyH added 20:54 - Jul 8 Jas0999 - Birmingham city Asian owners stuck around £13M into them last season and continue to do so and Bristol City have sold Bobby Reid for £10M so that's where there funds are coming from.
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blues1 added 21:07 - Jul 8 Well pointed out Timmyh. Bristol also sold flint for £7M. Plus selling another striker now.(cant recall his name).
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Dog added 21:24 - Jul 8 And that is my point exactly. When clubs sell their best players the money or a large proportion is reinvested in quality players coming in. Sadly we sell our players and have not reinvested for several seasons. Hopefully the new manager can survive on the scraps given like Mick and provide us with far better football.
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Swn98 added 21:25 - Jul 8 I have never stated one way or the other what sort of players we should sign. Regards the goal keeper i just read his cv and came to the conclusion its not very inspiring just my humble opinion of course,oh i forgot your not allowed an opinion if your not in the in crowd.
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Wooly added 21:27 - Jul 8 Seems to me that we continue to prepare for League 1 at the end of next season. A league 1 manager followed by the sale or release of our best assets. Say what you all like about Mick, but I trust his judgement for dealing in the basement bargain bin more than a guy who has sold fish in Grimsby and then turned Shrewsbury into a semi competitive side!
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Loweblue added 21:37 - Jul 8 Wow these guys, Bart is no more than a good shot stopper, he adds nothing more. No contribution, he can't kick to our players. He doesn't throw. Yes he's saved us a lot of points. But nothing much more. We have Deano who is no worse than Bart imo. And we have have Harry son of Richard wright to fill the void. Perhaps we should worry about the defense. Then the goalie won't have naff all to do. Let him go. If he wanted to stay he would have. David stockdale anyone.. In Hurst we trust. As for a loan Keeper I can't see that happening.

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Dog added 22:09 - Jul 8 No thanks to Stockdale. Overweight and useless. He shipped goals like they were going out of fashion when he was on loan here. No command of the box. Useless at crosses. No talking to defenders and obviously not much of a shot stopper. Next.
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FromIpswichToPhoenix added 03:49 - Jul 9 So much anger here and we haven't even started the season yet. Are we sure this isn't a Star Wars website?
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blues1 added 07:06 - Jul 9 Swn98. If u were giving an opinion id totalky respect it. But ur just doing what u always do and slagging the clib off with no justification. U say were selling off our best assets and replacing w ith lge1/2 players? Well, weve sold 1 player so far and signed 2. Yes, 1 a lower lge player and the other from chelsea. So thats not giving an opinion, thats just unsubstantiated criticism. Were now at a stage where theres not even been a bid for bart and u, and others are already slagging the club for selling him. They havent. And if they do itll be because he wants to go. Im not sure about Amos pwrsonally but stats for a goalkeeper tell u very little. Conceding lots of goals dowdnt necessarily mean hes poor. In fact more likely means he had a crap defence in front of him. Id rather we go for foderingham should bart go. But we'll not know whats happening with him till aftervhe returns to the club next week.

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Bigboyblue added 08:20 - Jul 9 I can get behind not buying top players and concentrating on youth. But we have to keep the few great assets we do have.
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blues1 added 08:40 - Jul 9 No1 would disagree with that bigboyblue. But you can only keep players who want to stay. No point having a player who doesnt want to be here. And hurst has made that clear early on. That if someone wants to go then theyll go. I believe we have to back him. Theres been to much division in this club. I thought McCarthy going, regardless of anyones opinion on him, would put an end to that. But unfortunately it seems the few who wanted him to stay wont leave it alone.(not aimed at u bigboyblue). Time to forget imo, the worst period of football(stylewise) ever known at this club and get behind the club and the new manager. Amazing what a bit of unity can achieve.

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Swn98 added 08:59 - Jul 9 blues1 that's just my opinion as for slagging off the club faux rage isn't that what you and your pals have been doing for the past three years oh that's different I suppose.
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blues1 added 09:18 - Jul 9 Swn98. Ive never slagged the club off in 46 years. Yes i slagged off the dino for his style of football and am totally entitled to, having paid out loads of money to be entertained. I dont expect us to win every game, or to automatically be entitled to achieve promotion. I do however expecttois to at least enjoy watching the team. Last 3 years has been total trash and boredom. Regardkess of where we finish this coming season im looking forward to at least seeing some better football. The new manager needs to be backed regardless of what happens this year. Its likely to take time for him to get things right from the past. Get the feeling that those few who still back McCarthy are just waiting for things to go badly so they can say "i told u so".

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Razor added 10:51 - Jul 9 Hang on boys and girls there seem to have been a lot of silly quick knee jerk reactions on here from a story that after all originated in The Sun of all places. It is certainly not fair to Bart who has not even met the new manager yet, and unless I am wrong did not PH say he would sort things out when he eventually met him? I for one trust the manager on this-----if he values him and wants him I think he will sign the new contract.

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