Southend United preparing to bid for Izale McLeod

According to local media reports, manager Phil Brown is ‘lining up a swoop’ to recruit Reds’ topscorer from last season to play in League One for his newly-promoted side.

Other local newspaper reports say that Notts County have had a second bid of £125,000 rejected by Crawley Town.

They are understood to be turning their attention to other targets.

McLeod scored 21 goals for Crawley last season but could not prevent them from being relegated from League One.

He still has a year left to run on his contract but told Crawley Town manager Mark Yates he was ill and therefore could not play in their last three friendly matches.

On Saturday he watched the Reds from the stand and did not take part in their final pre-season friendly at National League South club Whitehawk, pulling out of the squad at 1.30pm on the afternoon of the game.

Yates said McLeod had made it ‘abundantly clear’ he wanted to leave Crawley Town and confirmed a bid for him had been turned down.

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