Jay Bothroyd and Michael Chopra have both played in the Premier League

Dave Jones has warned Premier League clubs he will not let star strike duo Jay Bothroyd and Michael Chopra leave Cardiff in the January transfer window.

England international Bothroyd has been linked with a move to Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion while Chopra has been heavily linked with Blackburn.

But Bluebirds boss Jones insists the Championship high-fliers have had no contact regarding Bothroyd or Chopra.

"This is the first time that I don't have to sell in January," said Jones.

Chopra has not been a first-team regular since recovering from ankle injury in November and the former England under-21 striker, who scored 21 goals last season, was reportedly unhappy at not playing week in, week out.

Cardiff's record-signing was subject of a failed bid by championship rivals Ipswich Town in the summer but £4m Chopra started his first game in four in Cardiff's 2-0 Boxing Day victory over Coventry City.

Bothroyd, on the other hand, is enjoying the most fruitful season of his career and the Championship top-scorer's 15 goals this term have seen him rewarded with a senior international call by England boss Fabio Capello.

But the Bluebirds' talismanic frontman is out of contract at the end of the season and is in danger of leaving the Cardiff City Stadium on a free transfer in the summer.

Birmingham are a long-time admirer of Bothroyd while Chopra's link with a top-flight return with Blackburn comes after the 26-year-old revealed he would possibly represent India internationally and that the new Ewood Park owners are Indian.

But Jones insisted: "We have had no contact from Blackburn.

"Michael has said that he'd like to play for India and Blackburn have Indian owners. Someone has put two and two together and come up with 12.

We want to stay up there in the table until the January transfer window when we can bring in one or two players that will help us strengthen and kick us on Cardiff City manager Dave Jones

"I can assure you there is no interest from Blackburn in Michael because they or Michael's agent have not spoken to us.

"On Jay, we haven't had contact from anyone.

"Maybe his agent has but he is still under contract here and if Jay is going to go, it will be a decision that this football club makes and not Jay or the agent."

Jones has helped revive the stuttering career of one-time journeyman Bothroyd since his cut-price £300,000 move from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer of 2008.

Bothroyd is at his eighth club in a relatively short career but admits he has "settled" at Cardiff as the Welsh club have given him the platform to become arguably the most influential strikers outside the Premier League.

And Bothroyd told his Twitter site: "There are always rumours but I am concentrating on getting to the Prem with Cardiff - that's my sole focus."

While former Newcastle United trainee Chopra returned permanently to Cardiff in the summer of 2009 after failing to make an impression with Sunderland in the Premier League.

But both are linked with a return to the top-flight in the new year despite second-placed Cardiff pushing for Premier League promotion themselves.

And Jones insists: "This is the first time that I don't have to sell in January and I hope I can add to the squad which will give the squad itself a lift.

"Whereas in the past it has demoralising a little bit having to see our best players leave."

The Bluebirds have been beset with financial difficulties and off-the-field turmoil in recent years as they were forced to sell one star player a season to balance the books.

But Jones insists the Welsh club can now keep their stars and splash the cash in the January sales after the club was taken over by a Malaysian consortium led by chairman Datuk Chan Tien Ghee - also known as TG.

And the Cardiff boss wants to bolster his squad for a concerted Premier League push after being linked with centre-back reinforcements such as Millwall's Danny Shittu.

"This is the best squad of players I have had at the club," said Jones.

"But we still do not have enough as I'm still relying on the backup of the youngsters, which you can't do if we're embarking on a campaign like we are.

"We want to stay up there in the table until the January transfer window when we can bring in one or two players that will help us strengthen and kick us on.

"I'm drawing up lists of players that we're looking at and I will sit down with TG."

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