Half million pound bid turned down

According to this week's Luton News, Mike Newell has had a bid of £500,000 turned down for a League 1 central midfielder, which the paper believes is Colchester United's Neil Danns.

Danns has scored 11 goals already this season and has been the subject of enquiries by several clubs, but with Colchester United riding high at the top of League 1, they are reluctant to let their prize asset go, despite the fact that he is out of contract at the end of the season.

Mike Newell, who has not confirmed the name of the player concerned, is reported as saying that he is unlikely to raise the bid and that he will continue to monitor the player with a view to assessing the situation in the summer.

Meanwhile, the newspaper speculates that striker Adam Boyd of Hartlepool, and central defender Ben Chorley of Milton Keynes Dons are also possible targets for Newell, although nothing is likely to happen until the squad returns from Portugal, where they are enjoying a short break ahead of Tuesday evening's clash with Sheffield Wednesday.