Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United are all chasing Town striker Connor Wickham, according to a national newspaper, who refer to the Blues frontman as “the new Wayne Rooney”. A host of Premier League scouts have regularly been keeping an eye on 16-year-old Wickham since he was a schoolboy, as TWTD was first to report back in February.

Town are said to fear Wickham agreeing to join one of the big four or another Premier League side — Aston Villa having been linked earlier in the week — in January before he is able to sign a professional contract on his 17th birthday on March 31st next year.

If any of the watching clubs do firm up their interest, Town would be in a position similar to the one in which Crystal Palace found themselves with John Bostock in 2008 when the Eagles academy schoolboy joined Tottenham, much to chairman Simon Jordan's annoyance.

The two clubs were unable to come to an agreement regarding a deal and a Professional Football Compensation Committee (PFCC) tribunal, run by the PFA, set a fee of £700,000 for Bostock, plus add-ons rising in steps up to £1.25 million after he makes five, 10, 20, 30 and 40 appearances, another £200,000 on his full international debut and a 15% sell-on.

Photo: Action Images

SomersetBlue added 23:50 - Nov 14 Nooo !! please stay wickam :(
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jakeitfcster added 23:52 - Nov 14 I think we all knew this might happen. Hes not leaving yet! but one day he shall leave for the prem, unless we're already there. ;)
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north_stand77 added 00:06 - Nov 15 would be a great shame.If only he will stay for next season or two, as any big club taking him are unlikely to play him due to competitian by established players. Then, if he must go, we could accept it better. We have already lost Rhodes. Give us a bit longer Connor please!!
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Greektractor added 00:35 - Nov 15 bye bye connor
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ChambersM added 00:36 - Nov 15 He's gotta stay for a season or two! If he goes now he wont get games and he wont turn into the player that he would if he stayed with us longer.
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copamundial added 00:57 - Nov 15 Never the new Wayne Rooney Wickham is so overated
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RobbieScarlatti added 04:20 - Nov 15 The next Ian Ormondroyd maybe.
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Cr0wman added 08:19 - Nov 15 Didn't we let Rhodes go to give Connor the room to develop ?? Now it look like will end up with neither :(
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wark_on_water added 08:35 - Nov 15 The other arguement of course is do you sell soon or risk him turning into another Dean Bowditch? (Would love him to stay of course)
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tom_the_blue added 08:57 - Nov 15 "the new Wayne Rooney" is going a bit far. He's not that good. though he is quality. please stay Connor!
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Bluecynic added 09:03 - Nov 15 Interesting. John Bostock is on loan at Brentford at the moment..so, he has probably had some excellent training with Spurs but is missing out on what is a pretty good season at Selhurst Park. Connor, take note.
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swinger added 10:02 - Nov 15 I cant imagine why he would stay. I mean, as much as i love Town if you're a 16 yr old footballer and you get the chance to go and play with Lampard, Terry, Drogba, Rooney, Giggs, Gerrard etc or the chance to slog it out with Quinn and Balkestein for the Championships 23rd placed team. No brainer.
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Dissblue added 10:32 - Nov 15 Great idea! Sell our only striker who has at least a clue where the goal is.
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Bluetone added 10:36 - Nov 15 Would the last youngster with the slightest amount of talent to leave please lock up and post the Academy key to Clegg.
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PutYaBootsOnKeano added 10:44 - Nov 15 Literally nothing we can do, except hope that the calibre of manager we have can persuade him to hang with us for a little longer. I think Roy has a better chance of that than many, and he is honest and I reckon someone like Connor trusts Roy highly. If not, we're victims perhaps of inevitability.. but this is nothing to do with the club, or management, simply 'letting him go'.

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copamundial added 11:08 - Nov 15 Dissblue he has not scored in the league yet
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Dissblue added 11:19 - Nov 15 Fair point. But he looks as though he has more potential to than Priskin or Counago
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NorwichBlue138 added 11:21 - Nov 15 I would hate to see another bright young star leave Town, but if he is going to go, we must make sure we really cash in - too many of our up and coming youngsters have been sold for less than they are worth (Exhibit A : Darren Bent for £2.5m, then worthy of £16m a couple of years later). Keep him for another two seasons and then re-assess - if he has started to turn into a "young Wayne Rooney" then slap a large price tag on him and hope that if he is that good he will have led us to the Premiership, and if he is another Dean Bowditch then at least we tried and didn't find out the hard way that he is a goal machine like Jordan Rhodes (admittedly for Huddersfield).

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bjc added 11:36 - Nov 15 id leave as well before keano takes us down to the 3rd
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Redmond added 11:42 - Nov 15 If he goes he will not become the player, he could be if he stays, because the big clubs will just leave him on the bench game in game out and yes some players like that but if you really love the game of football you would want to be playing game in game out, although he don't get that at Ipswich he is getting more games then if he moved.
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biggerblue added 11:45 - Nov 15 OHH GOD here we go AGAIN!! Paper Talk means nothing!! Yes we know the lad is attracting big interest and so he should and its good for the club that we can produce good talent. If a top Prem club offers him FIRST team football at his age, then I am afraid we have lost him. However, I do not think that will be the case, I do not think he will move for anything less, Why would he? he is getting great experience at Championship level and he will only get better staying were he is (for now).

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prozach added 12:01 - Nov 15 Connor will know that the best for his career is to stay with us.
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Mark added 12:05 - Nov 15 If a tribunal rules the same as Bostock then Wickham could leave for 0.7M - £1.2M. We'd get much more if we sold our young stars on our own terms, I mean I'm sure Huddersfield could find £0.2M - £0.7M! :-) Seriously, the risk of Wickham leaving has always been there and that does make the sale of Rhodes seem even less sensible. Let's hope Wickham stays here. The jury is out over whether Keane is the man to persuade him to stay, after all Keane has taken us down to 23rd and Wickham would not want to risk relegation I would have thought. Oh dear.

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Back_The_Boss added 13:21 - Nov 15 Hopefully we will be in the Prem before bids come in. But with our current form; thats not likely!
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WickedBlue added 14:09 - Nov 15 Ok lets get few things straight we are not selling Wickham. We can't, he does not have a professional contract and we can't give him one till he is 17. At which time he can sign for anyone he wants to. If he does sign for another club then we will be due compensation which will be sorted by a board (not our board), Normally when these boards sit and it's a big premier club who 'steals' the said player these boards fall on the side of the big premier club and shaft the losing club. But hey everyone wanted to be dictated to by these big clubs hence the the Premier league and rules which are always in thier favour. Hopefully Conner will show loyality and sign a contract with us, I also read somewhere that he and his father have always been Ipswich fans hope that is true as it might work in our favour as I see Conner becoming a huge star.

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