Puncheon bid rejected, Saints want too much money

Blackpool had a bid for former star Jason Puncheon turned down last week by Southampton, and it's unlikely he will be returning to the club on loan.

The Seasiders, who missed out on the midfielder last summer, were nowhere near the valuation set by the Saints, which is thought to be in the region of £1m.

Puncheon's agent Tony Finnigan today told Vital Blackpool that the Championship leaders aren't interested in letting the player out on loan again and want him out of the club permanently.

"Jason [Puncheon] isn't wanted by Southampton and he is training with the youth team. That's not going to help anybody and a move away would benefit everyone," Finnigan said.

"I think the lad needs to leave as soon as possible - not just for his football but to get a fresh start in his life."

Saints officials at St Mary's are meeting today to discuss his future and Finnigan is hopeful that his player will know where he stands before the end of the January transfer window. But he fired a warning, stating that the club must lower their transfer fee demands if they want to cash in.

The agent said that Pool's offer, believed to be in the region of £500,000, wasn't unreasonable for a player currently training with the youth team.

"The offer Blackpool made last week was a fair one for a player not in the plans of his manager. I don't know why it wasn't accepted and they are trying to hold out for too much money, which they are very unlikely to get," Finnigan said.

There are three clubs at the top end of the Championship very interested in him, but he won't be leaving on loan. They want him out of the club permanently."

Puncheon signed for £350,000 in 2010 but was soon farmed out on loan to Millwall, Blackpool and QPR. He arrived back at Southampton last week following an unsuccessful loan spell at Loftus Road but the club are ready to offload as soon as possible, given they don't want to be saddled with the player's wages.

Pool boss Ian Holloway remains extremely keen, with Puncheon proving a revelation at Bloomfield Road last season - scoring three in 11 games.

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