in the know

LEEDS are eyeing up a raid on relegated Blackpool to land highly rated defender Charles Dunne.

Dunne has been one of the very few shining lights in a season of gloom on the Fylde Coast but is set to leave Blackpool after they dropped out of the Championship.

Left-back Dunne, 22, only has another year left to run on his contract at Bloomfield Road and Blackpool boss Lee Clark would love to keep him at the club.

But he knows that it is unlikely that the London-born Republic of Ireland U21 international will still be at the club come the start of next season.

Dunne has been at Blackpool since August 2013 when he was signed for an undisclosed fee from Wycombe and has been on Leeds’ radar since impressing against them in March.

Leeds are on the look out for bargains this summer and are hoping that they will get their man for around £250,000 because of the short length of time remaining on his contract.

Dunne is also set to attract interest from other clubs in the Championship with Neil Lennon’s Bolton also taking a close look at him. BURNLEY are hoping to make it third time lucky by launching a bid to land Nottingham Forest midfielder Henri Lansbury, 24, at the end of the season.

The Clarets failed twice to sign Lansbury this term but aren’t going to take no for an answer even if they fail to beat the drop back to the Championship. BIRMINGHAM City are closing in on a deal which will see Stoke’s Andy Wilkinson make the switch to St Andrew’s at the end of the season.

Right-back Wilkinson is in the last few months of his contract at the Britannia Stadium and will be departing the Premier League club when it runs out in July.

Wilkinson, 30, who had a loan spell at Millwall earlier this season, has spent the last 12 seasons playing for Stoke.

He made nine appearances for the Lions before returning to the Potteries in January, but is yet to play in the Premier League this season.

Birmingham boss Gary Rowett is now keen for him to move across the Midlands in time for the start of next season.

Blackburn are also rumoured to be interested in signing him.