CHRIS Hughton is to take the same calm and unflappable approach as before to the forthcoming transfer window.

Trading begins again in January and fears have been heightened that Blues, because of their financial problems, must move out players in order to raise cash.

Liam Ridgewell, who handed in a transfer request on the final day of the summer window to try to force his exit, is already being linked with clubs, including Newcastle United, again.

While Nikola Zigic, as Blues’ biggest earner, is also being touted around.

Perhaps the most worrying scenario for Hughton and supporters is the burgeoning interest in Jack Butland.

All the Premier League’s top clubs have had scouts watching Butland for England Under-21s and at Cheltenham Town, where he recently returned from loan.

Butland, Jordon Mutch and Nathan Redmond, because of their youth and promise, are arguably Blues’ biggest assets right now.

Everything depends, of course, on whether acceptable bids are forthcoming for any of Hughton’s players, and what the board’s exact intentions are in relation to balancing cashflow needs, among other financial issues, and supporting the manager with a squad of sufficient quality and depth to sustain a Championship promotion challenge.

“No, I’m not thinking at the moment about players I might lose,” Hughton insisted.

“I have got a competitive squad and until I’m told anything different, then we work the same way we’ve always worked.

“If that’s not the case, then we work the best ways around it and with the best solutions we have.

“At the moment, it’s not a big concern to me.”