CHRIS LAKEY Peter Grant is refusing to be put off in his bid to bring Celtic's Derek Riordan to Carrow Road.Riordan has forced his way into Gordon' Strachan's first team in the past two games, leading to suggestions the attacker would stay north of the border.

CHRIS LAKEY

Peter Grant is refusing to be put off in his bid to bring Celtic's Derek Riordan to Carrow Road.

Riordan has forced his way into Gordon' Strachan's first team in the past two games, leading to suggestions the attacker would stay north of the border.

But Grant said yesterday he wouldn't be put off his bid for a player who could cost up to £1m in the January transfer market.

“As long as I have a chance of getting him I will be in the pack there with the rest of them,” he said.

Grant said his plans hadn't been sidetracked by Riordan's appearances for the Scottish champions over the holiday period.

“Not at all - all good players I am always attracted to,” he said. “If they are out of the side you have to make sure you know the reason they are out of the team.

“Sometimes these guys are out of the side not due to their own performances but the performances of players in front of them, especially at the big clubs. It's proves his quality - he went and scored for Celtic in his first start. He has great qualities there is no doubt about that.”

While Grant is undoubtedly interested in Riordan, he said his interest in Shrewsbury midfielder David Edwards has only gone as far as having the 20-year-old Welsh Under-21 international watched.

“He is somebody we have looked at,” said Grant. “He is a good young boy, he scores goals. We have seen him play, he has done very well and we have the Welsh connection here, with Dave Williams, who knows he is a good player as well.

“We do our homework to try and find good players and young players and he is one of the names that has come up. There is no doubt he is a good player - we have watched him, but that's as much as we have done.”

Grant wrapped up the signing of Luke Chadwick on Wednesday, but says there are two or three he wants to add, even though he is finding it a frustrating job.

However, the net is clearly closing.

“I think I am very close with a few of them, but decisions, unfortunately, depend on other things happening,” he said. “The managers could be kidding me on. That is the unfortunate thing because I can understand where they are coming from because I would be the exact same if I had nobody to replace them. They are not going to leave themselves short because they know they can't do anything else after January. They are all in the same boat, there is always a but.

“There are a couple of managerial places as well, so that doesn't help. It is frustrating - ideally I would love to have everybody in by the middle of January, I'd love to, but that maybe won't be the case. Maybe the end of January.”