The swap deal which will see Jay Emmanuel-Thomas move to Bristol City and winger Paul Anderson join the Blues should be completed today, according to reports in the West Country. Town assistant manager Terry Connor said on Saturday that progress was expected over the weekend after discussions between the clubs for the last fortnight.

Emmanuel-Thomas, 22, and Anderson, 24, are expected to hold talks with their prospective new clubs and undergo medicals today.

According to the Bristol Post, the deal thrashed out between the clubs over the weekend will see Town settle the remaining year on Emmanuel-Thomas’s contract.

The Blues are said to have been looking for a player plus cash arrangement — having paid in excess of £1 million for Emmanuel-Thomas when he signed from Arsenal — but have had to settle for just the player swap.

The midfielder played for Robins boss Sean O'Driscoll on loan at Doncaster and was initially targeted as a loan signing back in January. Londoner Emmanuel-Thomas joined the Blues in July 2011 and made 43 starts and 32 sub appearances, scoring nine goals.

Anderson, who wants a move back to the Championship following City's relegation to League One, started his career as a youth player with West Brom, before moving on to Hull City and then Liverpool in November 2005.

He spent time on loan at Swansea and Nottingham Forest — when he was linked with a move to the Blues - while with the Reds, before making the switch to the City Ground permanent in the summer of 2009 for £250,000.

The 5ft 9in tall former England U19 international moved on to Bristol City last summer, signing a two-year deal. He made 19 starts and 11 sub appearances for the Robins during their 2012/13 relegation campaign, scoring three goals.

Meanwhile, Bristol City are not expected to offer former Doncaster Rovers midfielder Martin Woods a contract. Woods worked under Blues boss Mick McCarthy at Sunderland and was reported to have been offered the chance to join Town as well as the Robins during pre-season training.

Photo: Action Images

cornishnick added 09:20 - Jul 8 I can't help but think Brizzle have got themselves a good deal here
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sucrePB1 added 09:22 - Jul 8 v v dissapointing
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bluelodgeblue added 09:24 - Jul 8 If the championship was,nt the motivation for JET Division 1 certainly won't be???
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mattb97 added 09:26 - Jul 8 This is a joke of a signing ever since MM came to Ipswich he has had a thing against Jet, he looked past his unbelievable natural talent for what I guess are personal reasons. I'm afraid micks unproffesionalism we are going to lose our only dangerous player ( deja vu anyone? Jordan Rhodes ).
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ntoms97 added 09:28 - Jul 8 first paragraph mistake *Completed
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suffolkpunchdrunk added 09:35 - Jul 8 Modern day football sticker swapsies in the playground!
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Liastro added 09:36 - Jul 8 Does this mean that we might actually finalise a deal for a player we've been linked with for at least a week?
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jas0999 added 09:36 - Jul 8 This looks like a better deal for Bristol City. Such a shame we are having to pay the final year of JET's contract. Another big money deal which hasn't worked out. Shame. Perhaps we can also settle Chopra's contract whilst we are at it? May as well.
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H1960 added 09:41 - Jul 8 Personally i dont think its a bad deal, for me JET is too much of a luxury, odd bits of brilliance then nothing, money wasted in my opinion, i think Mick feels the same way, has done his homework and thinks he can get alot more out of Anderson,lets hope so.
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Mark added 09:43 - Jul 8 Time and time again, Ipswich have to settle players contracts. The signing of Emmanuel-Thomas is looking a real disaster then if we paid a £1M fee plus having to settle his contract. Let's hope Anderson turns out to be a good signing. I have been saying for ages that we need a winger, and that's what he is.
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RetroBlue added 09:44 - Jul 8 I dont think people should feel Town have a got the raw deal here. The simple facts are JET has been here 2 years and hasnt been able to force himself into the team (under any manager) on a regular basis. The player as nice as he appears, from a professional footballer perspective , he has failed to deliver. WE are in no position to "carry" such players, especially ones that cost well over a £1m and are on reportedly high wages. Wish him well and move on . Anderson may provide that crucial link in the team. I personally suspect JET will continue to flatter to deceive and will in 18 months to 2 years time be moving on yet again to yet another club. He reminds me very much of another such talent - Marcus Bent. Who made a very good living out of moving Club to club , over 17 in all I believe.

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Millsey added 09:44 - Jul 8 How many times has jet been anonamous when hes played. In two years at the club you can count the good games hes had on two hands.
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RegencyBlue added 09:46 - Jul 8 O'Driscoll has played a blinder for Bristol here! If true, from looking for a player plus cash deal we have gone to settling JET'S contract, which will not have been cheap. We are coming across as financially desperate at the moment and I'm beginning to wonder if it is only down to FFP?
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JimmyJazz added 09:47 - Jul 8 Anyone else find it strange that it appears that money is not available to buy someone, but is available to pay off a contract?
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Karlosfandangal added 09:51 - Jul 8 I agree with Jet has talent, However Wenger and Rice are pretty good judge of players and they could not get the best out of him, McCarthy and Connor know a thing or two about players and have got no where with him either, so best he leaves. If Anderson progress is a little like Cresswell and we get a player who gives his all good deal. Only thing is that we could be giving Jet about half a mill in wages plus Bristol are going to pay him too plus we have now got to pay Anderson, no wonder we have no budget to buy players. Again a player rewarded for failure, lets hope we can reward Chopra too and pay him off

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bontcho added 09:52 - Jul 8 Strikes me we're swapping a winger more suited to 4-3-3 to one more suited for 4-4-2. Given MM always plays 4-4-2 seems entirely sensible. The rumours about wages/payoffs etc are always difficult to work out but Bristol City knew we trying to offload so probably had the stronger bargaining position.
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clint_eastwood added 09:54 - Jul 8 I must admit JET has got a lot of talent but we can't afford experimenting with inconsistency players at the moment if we're to challenge for promotion this season.
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bluearmy78 added 09:55 - Jul 8 For all the fans who think this is really disappointing I really wouldn't worry too much. When we got JET I honestly thought that he would set the world alight. He's hardly featured in his 2 seasons at the club so what makes it different this season??? JET is a luxury player who as Jewel & MM said was very good in training but neither manager gave him the game time, what does that tell you? I wish JET all the best if this deal is completed but I don't think it will be anything like when we let Rhodes slip through our fingers.

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Brazilsnuts added 09:55 - Jul 8 I imagine what we will be paying Anderson on a weekly basis is significantly less than what we would have had to pay JET had we kept him on further than his existing contract. JET cant have much ambition or desire to play at the highest level. Lets hope Anderson becomes a regular, I'm sure he'll be far more productive in one season than JET ever was for his entire stay

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Special_A added 09:55 - Jul 8 Like many other town supporters I do really like JET. I think he came with huge potential, loads of raw talent and has a little enigma about him "JET" The real issue is the times he performed for us, he has been a luxury player. I do feel like we are getting the bad end of the deal, however, only time will tell........ In MM and TP we trust
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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 10:02 - Jul 8 mattb97 - really ? MM doesn't like JET, you know this how? JET without doubt has natural talent but it two seasons with us has failed to show it a consistent level. If MM and TC think they cant get anymore from him then i'm certainly not going to argue. Wenger also thought the same and there hasn't been any other Championship clubs breaking down our door to get him has there. Fair play to JET though if he is prepared to drop down to get his career kick started, i wish him well and take note Chopra.

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Tractorog added 10:06 - Jul 8 Does paying off a players contract as part of a sale count under FFP rules? For example if we pay £x to settle his contract but under the terms of the contract that is a payment made by us for Anderson then does it count?
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SheffieldBlue1 added 10:09 - Jul 8 People really seem to missing the point here. Yes, JET seemed to have a great deal of talent, but without actual results on the pitch that all that talent is about as useful as a chocolate fire-guard. This deal makes sense for everyone involved. JET gets a new start and Ipswich get a winger, something we've been crying out for. Although the financial aspect of it aren't ideal, we're basically getting another player who will be well involved in first team action in exchange for one which would have spent a lot of time warming the bench. Good swap.

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mispeltyouth added 10:13 - Jul 8 JET is one of those players that you know is capable of producing something spectacular and who you are willing to do well, but somehow you also know it is all going to end in disappointment. JET has been a passenger in too many of the games he has played for us, to get out of this league we need all 11 players to perform for 90 minutes. Bye Bye JET.
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austractor added 10:19 - Jul 8 IF, and its a big IF, we are: 1) Paying the last year of his contract in full (and not just the gap between what they will pay him and what we would have paid him) 2) Not getting a fee Then this is not a good deal no matter which way you paint it.
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