Paul Jewell says he has other irons in the fire if his reported £500,000 move for Portsmouth midfielder Sammy Igoe is not successful.

The Bradford City boss has confirmed interest in the lively 23-year old but sources on the south coast say the deal is being held up by the First Division cash-strapped strugglers' status with the banks.

Manager Paul Jewell refused to confirm a bid had been accepted saying only: "We have been in contact but the deal is on hold at the moment."

Port Vale, among other clubs, are also interested in Igoe, but a move to the Potteries seems unlikely.

Portsmouth are in disarray following chairman Martin Gregory's decision to sell players in the face of fierce opposition from manager Alan Ball. Gregory urgently needs to reduce the club's debt of £5m.

Igoe has been with Pompey since he was ten-years-old and has played 126 matches for the club. He has scored seven goals, one of them in their 3-1 win at Valley Parade in the final match of last season.

Ball rates Igoe at £1.5m, but clubs will be hoping to buy him at less than that in view of Pompey's desperate need to sell.

They have already sold their most valuable asset striker John Aloisi, expected to join Coventry for a bargain £650,000. The loss of Aloisi, who is leading scorer with 17 goals this season, is seen as a body-blow to the club.

Jewell, who spent £3.3million in the transfer market in the summer, twice breaking City's transfer record, has more money to spend as he looks to make the most of their strong position in the First Division promotion race.

But he has denied interest in Charlton's West Yorkshire-based midfield player Neil Redfearn who could be available in a £750,000 deal.

Redfearn, whose father Brian played league football for Bradford Park Avenue and Blackburn Rovers, was a key member of Barnsley's First Division promotion team two years ago, but joined Athletic in the summer for £1.1m.

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