Flint could be sold (From This Is Wiltshire)

ADEN Flint could be sold to help Swindon Town manager Paolo Di Canio in his January transfer window business.

The Advertiser reported last week that two League Two clubs are interested in signing the imposing centre-back, and Di Canio confirmed after Town’s 4-0 defeat of Carlisle on Saturday that he has received offers for the 23-year-old’s services.

The Italian did not name the interested sides in question, although the Adver understands they are Port Vale and Bradford, but he did admit that he would consider shipping his defender out if it meant freeing up the funds necessary to extend the loan deals of Chris Martin, Danny Hollands and John Bostock and bring another new face to the club.

With Troy Archibald-Henville set for up to six months on the sidelines, Di Canio would be left with just three regular senior centre-backs – Darren Ward, Joe Devera and Alan McCormack – but he said his hand could be forced due to a lack of spending power at the County Ground.

“He could be the player. Not because I don’t like him, because when we talk about him it is not confirmation of the name of the player we have to sacrifice, but it’s one that we have received a request from a few clubs ready to spend money that can give me the opportunity,” he said.

“He’s one of the options. He’s probably the main one because there is this opportunity but we will see because I want to keep him. I want to maintain this group. If it’s possible I want to bring in another player.

“If we can send out all three players and keep Flint that will be the worst madness situation in the world, especially if there is no financial problem.

“The problem is something that I don’t understand or I don’t want to understand because I don’t want to burn my brain. I want to keep going. I don’t want to spend nervous energy thinking about why.”

Di Canio also revealed that any potential permanent switch for Paul Caddis to Birmingham in January appears to have fallen through.

A fee was agreed in principle with the Blues, only for the Championship outfit to state that they are unable to complete the deal for the former Town captain this month.

Caddis is now expected to complete his season-long loan at St Andrew’s, with rumours of a move to Bristol City believed to be inaccurate, while Adam Rooney will also see out his spell in Wiltshire.

Di Canio said: “This is the problem. We agreed a deal in some way and the amount of money, but at the end we received: ‘We can’t buy him now’.

“At the moment they say no, and 99 per cent not even for the rest of the transfer market month.

“We have to know he will stay there. We’re happy to keep Rooney in here until the end of the season and go through another plan.”