CHRIS LAKEY Canaries midfielder Paul McVeigh could be set for a surprise move to struggling Charlton in the summer.

CHRIS LAKEY

Canaries midfielder Paul McVeigh could be set for a surprise move to struggling Charlton in the summer.

The 25-year-old is out of contract in the summer and was loaned out to Burnley last Thursday, with the clear intention of putting him in the shop window.

But reports suggest that Charlton boss Alan Pardew - who City's Peter Grant worked under at West Ham until he moved to Carrow Road in October - is keen on taking McVeigh to The Valley.

Grant's decision to allow McVeigh to go out on loan would suggest that the offer of a new contract is unlikely and that he is happy to let the player go.

While McVeigh looks to be on his way, further media reports suggest Newcastle defender Titus Bramble could be on his way to Norwich.

The former Ipswich man is also out of contract at the end of the season and rumours have even suggested he could be on his way to Carrow Road.

Bramble has been told he is "fighting for his life" to stay in the North East by United boss Glenn Roeder after a series of high-profile lapses during his Newcastle career, including the recent Uefa Cup defeat in Holland to AZ Alkmaar.

The Canaries and Championship rivals Birmingham could be ready to pounce for Bramble, who would be available for nothing - if his contract runs out.

Ipswich-born Bramble made his debut for his hometown club as a 17-year-old in 1998 after joining as a trainee. He made 62 appearances for Town, including two seasons in the Premiership, before switching to the Magpies in a £5m move in 2002.

Since then the England Under-21 international has been in and out of the starting line-up at St James's Park, although he has played more than 150 times for the club.

Now, he faces a huge battle to remain with the Geordies according to his manager.

"Titus is a very frustrating player, because when he is good he is very good," Roeder said. "But, one of the responsibilities you must fulfil as a defender is consistency in every minute of every game because it only takes a second to score a goal.

"There is a lot to like about Titus, but again, he does have those lapses in concentration. If Titus wants to stay, he is fighting for his life."

The rumour has inevitably been fuelled by Bramble's apparent social links with Norwich, where he is said to be a regular visitor.

Bramble has been involved in a series of off-the-field incidents, including last August when he crashed his high-powered, £40,000 BMW M3, into a garden wall on the A140 in Newton Flotman, causing extensive damage, before leaving the scene in a taxi to go clubbing in Norwich.