Crewe Alex: Derby set to launch new Brayford bid

by Gwyn Griffiths

DERBY COUNTY are preparing another bid to tempt Crewe to part with player-of-the-season John Brayford.

The sales of Tyrone Mears and Emanuel Villa over the past week have armed Rams boss Nigel Clough with the funds to make renewed bids for long-term transfer targets Brayford and Blackpool centre-half Shaun Barker.

The Alex resisted a previous offer last January from Clough, who was Brayford's manager at former club Burton Albion.

It is understood Crewe are holding out for around £500,000 for the right-back, who proved to be a revelation after signing from The Brewers in an £80,000-plus deal in August 2008.

But now it is likely Villa's return to Mexico – which will generate around £1.5m – plus Mears's £500,000 switch to Burnley, will be sufficient to cover Derby's outlay on both of their defensive targets.

"We've made bids for both Barker and Brayford which have been rejected, but we are in the process of drawing up fresh offers," confirmed Clough.

Meanwhile, youngsters Alex Titchener and Matt Tootle have signed their first professional contracts.

Striker Titchener and the versatile Tootle impressed for Crewe's under-18s side last term.

Their decisions to commit to one-year deals have provided a boost after fellow academy scholars Ben Marshall and Matthew Lund chose to leave. Marshall and LundThe pair have since been in touch with Stoke's academy director and former Alex coach, Steve Holland, to seek a move to the Britannia Stadium.

But Titchener is happy to stay on at Gresty Road and believes he can follow in the footsteps of fellow youth-teamer Danny Shelley, who graduated into the senior side last season.

"When you look at the progress Danny made last season, I can use that as my inspiration because a year before he was playing with the under-16s after suffering an injury," said the teenager.

"There were times last season when I was down and not knowing what was going to happen, so it was really emotional to be told I'd got a professional contract."

CREWE have confirmed another pre-season fixture at Conference North side Hyde on Thursday, July 23 (7.30pm).