George Burley is rumoured to have increased his offer for FC Brugge star Gert Verheyen to £1.8 million.

The Ipswich Town boss - who has refused to comment on the speculation because the attacking midfielder is under contract - had a £1 million bid rejected at the weekend.

Burley was first linked with Verheyen early last month but the Town boss then denied any interest in the 30-year-old Belgian.

The former Hoogstraten VV, Lierse and Anderlecht star, who scored twice when Brugge beat KV Mechelen 5-2 at the weekend, is thought to be keen on a transfer to England.

He is under contract until 2004 but a move to the Premiership would almost certainly result in his salary being tripled.

Last week Sven Vermant, who plays alongside Verheyen in the Brugge midfield, was linked with a switch to Portman Road after Burley was seen watching a match against Harelbeke.

Town have offered England Under 21 international Titus Bramble a new five-year contract, even though he has two years of his existing deal left to run.

And Wayne Brown, the forgotten man of Portman Road after being pushed down the defensive pecking order by Hermann Hreidarsson and John Scales, has again become the subject of transfer speculation.

Both Wimbledon and Stockport County are keen to recruit the services of the Cambridge-born player, even though he has been hampered by injury so far this term.

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