Fleetwood already have a bid on table ... but not for Alex Cairns or Ash Hunter says Joey Barton

Fleetwood assists ace Ash Hunter is expected to attract interest during the transfer window

Farewell to Jim Strachan, one of Fleetwood's finest and most loyal players

Cairns has made numerous important saves, with attacker Hunter bagging 12 assists, and Barton expects interest in both during next month’s transfer window

However, the club has already received a bid for a player not in Barton’s match-day squad.

The Town boss hinted that the player in question is currently out on loan.

Eight-goal Ashley Nadesan and Jack Sowerby are both on loan at League Two club Carlisle United, with Nadesan out of contract in the summer.

Matty Urwin has starred in goal for National League North leaders Chorley, who have conceded the fewest goals in the division, 15.

Urwin is currently back at Highbury nursing a hamstring injury, though his loan deal runs until the end of the season as does winger Dan Mooney’s at Chester in National League North.

Joe Maguire and Bobby Grant are on loan until next month at Crawley Town and Wrexham respectively, while attacker Michael Donohue’s deal with FC United also expires in January.

Asked if Town had received any bids for Cairns or Hunter, Barton said “no” but added: “Do I think there is interest in them? Yeah, course, because they are good players.

“As far as I know, we have had one bid for one player but that is for nobody who is in the matchday squad.

“Without telling you who that is, it is someone who is not here.

“There is interest but it will start firming up once the window opens.

“With the madness of football, it will probably be in the last four days that someone comes in. Everyone waits because they are wheeling and dealing.

“We were relatively quiet in the last one because we got our business done early, which was nice.

“Our feet were up on transfer deadline day but I do not expect it to be the same this deadline ... in both directions.

“But for me we are a million miles away from that. We have five or six games and the FA Cup before it but I can’t really control that.

“We have discussions about it, so we are all on the same page but again we will cross those bridges when we come to them.”

Town’s League One fixture at AFC Wimbledon has been rearranged for Tuesday, January 22, with a 7.45pm kick-off.

The match was originally scheduled for January 5 but the clubs will meet at Highbury on that date in the third round of the FA Cup.

n Two young Town players have joined non-league clubs on loan.

Defender Lewis Baines has moved to Chorley on a youth loan. The 20-year-old made his Town debut in last month’s Checkatrade Trophy defeat at Bury.

Forward Mamadou Djabi has signed a one-month deal with Colne of Northern Premier League division one west.