Wigan Athletic's bid for Robbie Blake is again hanging in the balance.
The on-off transfer saga is off again with Latics refusing to budge on their latest offer to Burnley – £1m straight down and a further £250,000 if they get promoted.
There is now every chance of Blake being in the Clarets team to face Latics on Tuesday, although there's still time over the Christmas period for a deal to be struck.
Manager Paul Jewell said: "I think the deal is dead now. We have gone as far as we can and while the lad says he wants to sign, Burnley patently don't want to sell him.
"I've been asked whether us playing Burnley next week had got in the way, but we weren't the next team up three weeks ago.
"The deal we offered was excellent but if a manager or a club doesn't want to sell, there is nothing anyone else can do.
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"We started off bidding at £500,000 for Blakey and we are now up to £1m with £250,000 on promotion.
"His agent tells me Burnley want £1.5m, but that won't happen. That is too much.
"I think we will have to go elsewhere now.
"I was hoping two or three players would have come in by now but they haven't happened for various reasons.
"Just because we lost at Ipswich doesn't mean there is a clamour for players, but I have been trying for a while to strengthen the squad.
"It might be easier in January when the Premier League clubs are doing a little bit of business."
However, it wouldn't come as a surprise if a compromise was eventually reached for Blake.
The striker has expressed his desire to move to the JJB Stadium and Jewell is like a dog with a bone when it comes to landing a player he really wants.
Of more pressing concern, though, is preparing for the Boxing Day clash with Derby County (kick-off 3pm) which is the first of four festive matches in 10 days.
Jewell has put the whole of his squad on alert for action and hopes Latics can swiftly bounce back from the midweek defeat at Portman which cost them top spot.
Jewell said: "I've told the lads who haven't been involved recently to make sure they are ready to play .
"The odds are that with four games so close together, we will get one or two bumps and bruises and perhaps the odd suspension.
"We're training as usual on Christmas Day because we've got to treat it as a normal day before a match.
"One of the most important things with such a busy schedule is the players getting the correct amount of rest between games.
"We will bring them in to work on certain things, but away from the club, I trust the players 100 per cent to look after themselves.
"These days players are athletes and any shenanigans will be found out."
Jewell knows the threat an improving Derby side will pose at the JJB, and has called for the team to show an improvement on the second-half performance at Ipswich.
He said: "Derby are a good side, George Burley has done a good job there, and I think they are a side which could get into the top six.
"They have some good players, and in Grzegorz Rasiak and Paul Peschisolido they have little and large up front.
"It wasn't so long ago Derby were in the Premiership and with the set-up they've got, they're a Premiership club in everything but name.
"We've got to make sure we play well against them and put the Ipswich defeat behind us."
Blake Delay
Wigan Athletic were expected to up their offer for Robbie Blake today, but may have to wait until next week for the transfer to go through.
The fact they face Blake's current employers Burnley next Tuesday could mean the rubber-stamping of any deal is put on ice until after then.
And even if it was pushed through to allow the striker to join Latics before Christmas, the Clarets will insist on a clause preventing him turning out at Turf Moor in the Bank Holiday derby clash.
Four bids for Blake from the JJB Stadium have so far been rejected by Burnley who want to hang on to their skipper and leading scorer.
A fifth is set to be made once Paul Jewell has spoken with chairman Dave Whelan, who jetted off to Barbados yesterday for his annual
festive break.
If Burnley can finally be tempted to sell, the way would be clear for negotiations over the player's personal terms to be begin.
And with 28-year-old Blake saying this week he wanted the move to Wigan, that should be something of a formality.
It then remains to be seen whether he arrives in time for the visit of Derby County to the JJB on Boxing Day, or everything is put on hold until after hostilities at Turf Moor.
The most likely scenario is that he puts pen to paper next week in time for a debut at Sheffield United on New Year's Day.
In an ideal world, Jewell would like Blake signed, sealed, delivered and available for the Burnley game.
Jason Roberts has landed himself with a suspension for that game after collecting five bookings – the latest for dissent at Ipswich.
But it seems David Graham will be handed a starting role that afternoon alongside Nathan Ellington in the forward line.
As well as Blake, Latics are thought to be chasing two other transfer targets in order to strengthen the squad for the second half of the season.
The opening of the transfer window on January 1 should see Premiership clubs become more amenable to doing business, ending a frustrating few months for Jewell on the signings front.
Meanwhile, the Latics players returned to training today ahead of a busy schedule of four games in nine days over Christmas and New Year.
Jewell hopes they can show their ability to bounce back from the Ipswich defeat in that quartet of games.
He said: "We had yesterday off after only getting back home in the early hours, but now we start preparing for Derby on Sunday.
"This time of year is not a holiday for footballers because it's very busy.
"I'm not saying things get decided now, but if you can get on a good run, you can put daylight between yourselves and other teams.
"It's important we bounce back from Tuesday night with a good performance against Derby.
"In the past we've managed to come back well after a defeat, but I've told the players they won't win many games if they play like they did in the second half at Ipswich.
"That wasn't like us, we got out-muscled and out-worked, and it might have worked as a wake-up call."
* Half-season tickets are on sale until midday on Sunday ahead of the Derby game.
For the rest of the afternoon, the ticket office will just be dealing with sales for the Rams' visit.
And even if it was pushed through to allow the striker to join Latics before Christmas, the Clarets will insist on a clause preventing him turning out at Turf Moor in the Bank Holiday derby clash.
Four bids for Blake from the JJB Stadium have so far been rejected by Burnley who want to hang on to their skipper and leading scorer.
A fifth is set to be made once Paul Jewell has spoken with chairman Dave Whelan, who jetted off to Barbados yesterday for his annual
festive break.
If Burnley can finally be tempted to sell, the way would be clear for negotiations over the player's personal terms to be begin.
And with 28-year-old Blake saying this week he wanted the move to Wigan, that should be something of a formality.
It then remains to be seen whether he arrives in time for the visit of Derby County to the JJB on Boxing Day, or everything is put on hold until after hostilities at Turf Moor.
The most likely scenario is that he puts pen to paper next week in time for a debut at Sheffield United on New Year's Day.
In an ideal world, Jewell would like Blake signed, sealed, delivered and available for the Burnley game.
Jason Roberts has landed himself with a suspension for that game after collecting five bookings – the latest for dissent at Ipswich.
But it seems David Graham will be handed a starting role that afternoon alongside Nathan Ellington in the forward line.
As well as Blake, Latics are thought to be chasing two other transfer targets in order to strengthen the squad for the second half of the season.
The opening of the transfer window on January 1 should see Premiership clubs become more amenable to doing business, ending a frustrating few months for Jewell on the signings front.
Meanwhile, the Latics players returned to training today ahead of a busy schedule of four games in nine days over Christmas and New Year.
Jewell hopes they can show their ability to bounce back from the Ipswich defeat in that quartet of games.
He said: "We had yesterday off after only getting back home in the early hours, but now we start preparing for Derby on Sunday.
"This time of year is not a holiday for footballers because it's very busy.
"I'm not saying things get decided now, but if you can get on a good run, you can put daylight between yourselves and other teams.
"It's important we bounce back from Tuesday night with a good performance against Derby.
"In the past we've managed to come back well after a defeat, but I've told the players they won't win many games if they play like they did in the second half at Ipswich.
"That wasn't like us, we got out-muscled and out-worked, and it might have worked as a wake-up call."
* Half-season tickets are on sale until midday on Sunday ahead of the Derby game.
For the rest of the afternoon, the ticket office will just be dealing with sales for the Rams' visit.