Jasper's Gems - Chris McCann and Other Gossip

With Jacob Butterfield and Steven Whittaker signed up last week, let`s have a look at who else might fit into the new order at Carrow Road. So far we`ve lost Adam Drury, Zak Whitbread and Aaron Wilbraham, with rumours that Andrew Crofts might be off too.

Burnely midfielder Chris McCann has been linked heavily since Hughton was appointed a month ago. Although reports in the local press today suggest there has been no official approach, there is clearly some interest.

Burnley are not keen on selling having lost Jay Rodriguez to Southampton, but maybe keen on a striker swap instead. Burnley boss Eddie Howe is known to be an admirer of City striker Chris Martin, and there has even been mention of James Vaughan going the other way on a season-long loan.

Stoke and Swansea have also been linked with McCann, with Swansea linked to a £2m move earlier in the summer.

24-year-old McCann is in the final year of his contract, and if he is determined to leave, could therefore leave for nothing next summer.

Eddie Howe has recently added former City Captain Jason Shackell to his squad for the new season, signing him from Derby for £1.1m, and suggested more signings were on the way.

"We`ve got Jason so targets now shift," said the Burnley boss.

"Now we want to add a couple more and hopefully we can do that in the coming weeks.

"We had to be patient with Jason and wait to get the deal done, which we were prepared to do, and now hopefully we can move quickly to get some other players in.

"I`m as impatient as the fans are, I want the players in as quickly as possible. "

Other links this weekend were to Crystal Palace right back Nathaniel Clyne and Middlesbrough left back Joe Bennett.

Both full backs are young (Clyne is 21 and Bennett is 22), and have played for the England U21 team.

Clyne is out of contract at Crystal Palace, but because of his age would command a fee should he leave Selhurst Park.

Joe Bennett is the least likely one as he is settled in the North East, and signed up until 2015.

I`d still expect some movement on the Birmingham links to either Redmond or Davis, but whether it`s now or closer to the transfer deadline, I`m not so sure.