Tabloid reports today claim Birmingham keeper Ian Bennett is set for June talks with Town regarding a move to Portman Road. The 31-year-old is out of contract at St Andrew's at the end of June.

Bennett has been offered a new deal by Steve Bruce, however it is likely that he would spend much of next season on the bench, something that may not appeal.

The Worksop-born glovesman made only 10 league appearances in 2002/03 and only 18 the season before, with Nico Vaesen the acknowledged first choice keeper.

Manager Bruce also looks likely to bring in another number one in the close season with Roy Carroll, Thomas Sorensen, Nigel Martyn, Newcastle's Steve Harper, Kaiserslautern's Tim Wiese and Nicolas Penneteau of Bastia all linked.

Bennett joined Birmingham from Peterborough for £325,000 in December 1993 after spending time as a youngster with both Newcastle and QPR although he failed to make a senior appearance at either club. With the Posh he played 89 times in nearly three years.

Since his move to Birmingham he has made 348 starts and last week celebrated his decade at the club with a 2-1 testimonial victory against Jamaica attended by 10,000 fans.

Town hope to come out of administration at the end of May with their transfer embargo likely to be lifted by a Football League board meeting on June 4th. Joe Royle has said that a goalkeeper will certainly be one of his summer targets.

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