David Cuffley Cardiff City look set to shelve plans for a cheeky bid to take on-loan Norwich City striker Ched Evans back to his homeland.The Bluebirds were yesterday reported to be considering a £600,000 offer for Manchester City's 19-year-old Welshman, who has scored three times in 11 appearances for Glenn Roeder's Canaries, with whom he has just started a second loan spell.

David Cuffley

Cardiff City look set to shelve plans for a cheeky bid to take on-loan Norwich City striker Ched Evans back to his homeland.

The Bluebirds were yesterday reported to be considering a £600,000 offer for Manchester City's 19-year-old Welshman, who has scored three times in 11 appearances for Glenn Roeder's Canaries, with whom he has just started a second loan spell.

Cardiff boss Dave Jones is likely to be on the lookout for more firepower after selling Scottish striker Steven MacLean to Plymouth at the end of last week, Argyle paying a club record £500,000.

And though there was no confirmation from Ninian Park - where Rhyl-born Evans scored a hat-trick for Wales Under-21 against France in November - Cardiff are understood to have explored the possibility of a bid for the youngster.

Evans is on an emergency loan with Norwich until February 26, with his club manager, Sven-Goran Eriksson, unable to recall him before February 6.

Under Football League rules, it is possible for Manchester City to sell Evans from under Norwich's feet to a different club before the end of the January transfer window, though strictly speaking, it should only be done with the agreement of all three clubs involved.

And in the unlikely event that Eriksson is prepared to sell Evans, it would be a surprise if Carrow Road boss Roeder was not keen to be first in the queue with a bid of his own.

Faced with such complications, Cardiff are believed to have put the idea on the back burner.

Theoretically, Roeder could make Evans a permanent signing for Norwich either by completing a deal by January 31, or by converting his emergency loan to a standard loan before January 31, then upgrading the move to a permanent signing after the transfer window closes.

But it is hard to imagine Eriksson parting with one of his brightest prospects just yet.

Derby defender Mo Camara and Chelsea youngster Ryan Bertrand are with the Canaries on standard loans - window to window - and under that arrangement, either move can still be upgraded to a permanent signing after the window closes.