MORTON boss Jim Duffy has confirmed making an approach for unattached striker Christian Nade as well as refusing to draw a line under his interest in bringing Declan McManus back to the club.

The Ton gaffer has been linked with a move for Frenchman Nade, who spent the second half of last season with Dumbarton and picked up the Ladbrokes Championship Player of the Month for March.

But he insists that the bid to bring the 31-year-old to Cappielow has not progressed any further than an initial discussion with his agent several weeks ago.

Duffy told the Tele: “Christian Nade is a player we’ve made an enquiry about, the same as we’ve made enquiries about other players.

“We were really just trying to find out what the situation was regarding him. I know he was at Dumbarton and he left, so he was a player that we discussed.

“But I’ve never spoken to the player at any time. He was in France and I spoke to his agent very briefly. There have been no further moves other than just trying to find out his thoughts.

“We wanted to find out if he wants to stay in Scotland — I was led to believe he has a couple of offers in America – if he wants to go full-time again, if he is going back to Dumbarton.

“It was just a general enquiry really to find out what his situation is, but to be honest I’ve not heard back from anyone regarding his circumstances for two or three weeks.”

When asked if Nade was still someone he was keen to sign or if he had dropped his interest, he replied: “I can’t say definitely either way.

“Because in two weeks’ time he could come out the blue and say he is interested in signing and I might still have the budget.

“In two weeks’ time, he could say he would like to sign, but I can’t because I’ve signed this guy and that guy. It’s all hypothetical.”

Meanwhile, former Ton loan star McManus has been quoted as saying a contract offer put to him by the Sinclair Street side is not something he could accept.

Although Duffy is looking at alternative targets, he still holds out some hope that a change in circumstances at Fleetwood Town would lead to a shift in the striker’s situation.

He added: “I wouldn’t say Declan has ‘rejected’ a move to Morton. We said we would like him to be here, but at this moment in time he is just outside our price bracket.

“We had a continued dialogue with both Declan and his agent, but he was still trying to agree a release of some form from Fleetwood. So as it currently stands it’s not possible to join Morton.

"He knows we would love to have him back and knows we’re interested and if circumstances change from his point of view then something [could happen] further down the line.

“At this moment in time, he is still a Fleetwood player. Until such times as all that’s resolved, what we could propose might not be something he is willing to accept.

“But maybe if it changes with Fleetwood then maybe that might change with Morton further down the line, I don’t know.

“If it materialises, great, but you can’t sit and wait around to see. If you only target one player and that player doesn’t eventually come to you then you could have wasted three or four weeks.”