Curtis Tilt is the calibre of player Ipswich are after, says Paul Hurst

It was reported earlier this month that the Tractor Boys had lodged a £550,000 bid for the 26-year-old, with fellow Championship sides QPR and Reading also interested.

Blackpool responded to the reports by confirming no bids had been accepted for their centre back.

Speaking to The Gazette last month, Pool boss Gary Bowyer said it would take at least £1m to prise the defender away from Bloomfield Road, suggesting any club thinking they can get a bargain deal for Tilt “has another thing coming”.

Hurst, talking after Ipswich’s 2-0 friendly defeat to Braintree Town this afternoon, told the East Anglian Daily Times: “I think we can roll the list on and on and on. I want a centre-back but I don’t know if Curtis will be the one or not.

“I think what we appreciate is whether clubs want to sell, the prices they are going to cost, because that all goes into the equation.

“We can all be a manager and say we want this player and that player, but is it achievable? Those players (Tilt and Peterborough United winger Gwion Edwards, who they have also been linked with) are good players and the kind of calibre we’re after.

“Championship experience doesn’t bother me, I just want good players.

“They can come from Mars if they are good players and that’s what I’m interested in.

“Would I have liked more? Maybe. I’ve said previously I would like the whole squad together when we arrive back but I think it was pretty obvious that that was never going to be the case.

“We would like them in sooner rather than later.”

New Ipswich boss Paul Hurst is a keen admirer of Tilt, having looked to sign him during his time at Shrewsbury Town.

It comes after a fine debut season for the centre-back, who made a seamless transition from non-league after signing from National League side Wrexham summer.

Last season was his first experience of the Football League but the Walsall-born Tilt impressed and ended up winning three gongs at the club’s end-of-season awards night, including The Gazette’s player of the season.

Tilt put in a string of man of the match displays and was a virtual ever-present for Pool last season, missing only two League One games through suspension and finishing the campaign with 45 appearances to his name.

He built up an impressive central defensive partnership with Clark Robertson, who joined Championship side Rotherham United on a free transfer at the end of last month.

Meanwhile former Blackpool striker Raul Correia, who signed for the Seasiders in January 2017 and made just one appearance, has signed for National League side Barrow.