Norwich's penalty box predator Jamie Cureton yesterday backed Glenn Roeder to bolster the Canaries' shot shy attack. Cureton is convinced Roeder's patient pursuit of a big targetman will bear fruit ahead of the frantic final fortnight of the transfer window.

Norwich's penalty box predator Jamie Cureton yesterday backed Glenn Roeder to bolster the Canaries' shot shy attack.

Cureton is convinced Roeder's patient pursuit of a big targetman will bear fruit ahead of the frantic final fortnight of the transfer window.

Ipswich-bound Shola Ameobi was last night on the verge of completing a reported £2.5m Portman Road switch after agreeing personal terms and undergoing a medical.

Former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink publicly distanced himself from mounting speculation that he is the man to solve Roeder's striking conundrum - despite confirming he is currently training with City's squad.

Cureton is convinced the new arrival will bring the best out of him and Norwich's misfiring forward line - Darel Russell's late equaliser against Blackpool avoiding a third consecutive blank.

The Bristolian is confident he can flourish alongside a big striker after earning a Carrow Road return last season on the back of his potent 42-goal Colchester partnership with beanpole sidekick Chris Iwelumo.

“I think the gaffer's searching around to try and find the right one that can come in here and who's got the right character,” said Cureton. “I'm sure that before the window closes the manager will have that guy in and then it's up to the four of us to battle it out to get in the game.

“I think I definitely need one - the type of player I am, the size I am. I've always played better with bigger target men alongside me. I think the other two that we've got need that as well. I think that any club wants one, they're just hard to get. Most people want one and if you're going to get a good one it's going to cost you a fair bit of money.”

Cureton has seen enough already to forecast young strike duo OJ Koroma and Arturo Lupoli can repay Roeder's faith.

“They're doing all right,” he told the club official's site. “Arturo has come over from Italy so he's settling back into English football and OJ's a young lad who's just learning his trade. I think they've found it ok, they're just getting used to being here, and I think in time we'll see the best of them the more times they play.”

Cureton is still one goal away from reaching his personal 200-goal landmark in league football.

“It's something that's been hanging around now since last year so it's something I'd like to get out of the way as quickly as possible,” he said. “It would be a massive milestone for me, the sooner I get it the better but I'd very, very pleased.”

The 32-year-old also hinted he would love to finish his career at his boyhood club.

“I'd love to, definitely, but we'll have to see,” he said. “I have another year after this and then we'll see what happens. It would be lovely to finish my career where I started it but we'll have to wait and see what happens.”

Hasselbaink used a guest pundit slot on Skysports to set the record straight after watching City's weekend draw against Blackpool.

“I'm just training there at the moment to keep myself fit,” he said, after confirming he had reached agreement with Cardiff over his long running contractual dispute. “I would like to play another year, but at the moment I've not had a pre-season and I've missed out on a lot of football so I'm just keeping myself fit.”

Meanwhile, reported City target Steffen Iversen was yesterday back at his Norwegian club Rosenberg after being sent home in disgrace from the national squad's training camp ahead of this evening's friendly in Oslo with the Republic of Ireland.

Iversen issued a public apology through the Norwegian media after admitting he had visited a bar on Sunday night in breach of a squad curfew.

Fresh speculation north of the border yesterday linked one-time Norwich target Alan Gow with a permanent transfer window move from Rangers. Roeder reportedly held talks with the powerful 25-year-old forward earlier this summer before a proposed move to Championship rivals Burnley collapsed.

Motherwell head a queue of SPL clubs ready to offer Gow an Ibrox escape route after a frustrating 12 month spell at the Uefa Cup finalists since the highly rated striker's move from Falkirk.