Boss Joe Royle has ruled out former Blue Chris Makin returning to Portman Road. Makin left Town last summer chasing a switch to Premiership Bolton but ended up at Championship side Leicester, moving on to Derby later in the season.

The former Sunderland, Oldham and Marseille man is out of contract again this close season and Royle says he has heard suggestions that the full-back might want to come back to Town: "I heard one or two murmurs along the lines of 'Would you be interested in signing Chris?'

"But I said we wouldn't be. I don't think he's for us now, although I wish him well wherever he goes."

"The situation last year could have been handled better. I wanted to see how fit Chris was after his injury and I had a two-year contract waiting for him once he had proved his fitness.

"I desperately wanted him to stay but he decided to move on. I was disappointed at the time with the way it happened.

"Chris can play in either full-back position and I remember he played as a centre-back for me at Oldham.

"But while I am looking to bring in at least one defender, it won't be Chris. We have several other players in mind."

Makin has been offered a new deal by Derby but is understood to have been more keen to rejoin Town, a move which would have been unlikely to impress supporters. The 32-year-old was booed throughout both his appearances at Portman Road last season.

Royle said earlier this week that he is talking to Premiership clubs about bringing one or perhaps two loanees before the beginning of the season, and has four players he is considering for those roles.

Last season the Town boss was close to signing Arsenal's England U21 international defender Justin Hoyte on loan and it is likely that he is targeting players in a similar mould this time around, although Royle has still not given up on signing David Unsworth.

The former loanee has a year left on his Portsmouth deal and Pompey currently appear unwilling to settle his contract or pay part of his wages while he spends the season on loan at Portman Road.

Meanwhile, Darren Bent and Shefki Kuqi have both opened their pre-season goals accounts with their new clubs. Bent, along with Darren Ambrose and Matt Holland, scored as Charlton beat Bournemouth 5-2, while Kuqi netted in Blackburn's 2-2 draw at Morecambe.

Former Town schoolboy Richard Keogh has joined Burnley on a two-year deal after being released by Stoke.

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