Managing director Ian Milne says Town remain determined to keep hold of their star players like Tyrone Mings and David McGoldrick during the January transfer window. In August, the promotion-chasing Blues turned down offers from Premier League sides Crystal Palace and Leicester for Mings and McGoldrick respectively.

Mings in particular is understood to be interesting a number of top flight sides - Arsenal are believed to be very keen in the £10 million-rated 21-year-old left-back - with Premier League scouts regular visitors to Portman Road this season.

“Our strategy is to keep all our players because we see this as a Premier promotion side,” Milne told TWTD.

“There are no players up for sale, but we can’t stop clubs approaching us. The important point is that all the agents have been told very strongly ‘Don’t waste our time’.

“Our strategy is to get promoted with this squad, and we proved that with the offers for David McGoldrick and Tyrone Mings. Nothing’s changed since then.”

However, he admits that as was the case with Aaron Cresswell in the summer, there comes a point when players have to move on for the good of all parties.

“I think as Mick has said, and I know Marcus agrees with this, there’s a time when a club has to let a player go and there’s a time when a player has to go because of their value.

“Aaron Cresswell’s a good example. You might have a circumstance like that that comes up.

“There is always interest. There are Premier League clubs thinking that they can pick somebody up from Town or from Birmingham or Millwall or whoever.

“Marcus has told them that no one goes cheaply and at the moment they are part of the squad and we need to be promoted.”

Milne says the question of adding to the squad will be dealt with between McCarthy and Evans: “We have never said there is no money to buy new players.

“If circumstances demand that we need to invest, Mick and Marcus will talk and agree the appropriate strategy.

“That has always been the consistent message, because it’s true. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the January window, neither do Mick or Marcus.

“We may get approached but one thing I know for certain is that Mick and Terry along with chief scout Dave Bowman are out there the whole time looking for players. They’re going to have a list of likely targets they may go for.

“As I understand it, there is no strategy to immediately go out and offer a load of transfers to a lot of players.”

Milne himself doesn’t get involved in negotiating transfers, leaving that to Evans and McCarthy: “Not other than the detail once a deal has been done, I get involved then.

“Marcus is always talking to me about ideas and what they’re proposing to do. But in football things happen very, very quickly and so if there is a transfer going on, the next port of call is talking to [club secretary] Sally [Webb] and that’s when I get involved as well. More administrative than anything else.

“When you do a transfer, you don’t want to do it by committee. It’s going to be a telephone discussion between Mick and Marcus and the agents and it’s going to happen. It’s got to be or you’re going to lose the opportunity.

“It’s his money and Mick makes the decisions on the team and they don’t need any of us involved in any of that.”

Meanwhile, he says former joint-managing director Jonathan Symonds still plays a part at Portman Road despite stepping back into a role as a club director in the summer.

“Jonathan has had to get more involved in projects for the main Marcus Evans Group and he’s been spending a lot of time on the North American side of the business.

“They’re going through various IT projects, however, he’s still very much involved in issues on ticketing amongst other IT-based things here.

“He and I practically share a desk in London and talk on a daily basis and he still takes a great interest in the club. He’s in the background but involved in certain issues.”

Milne dismisses rumours that Symonds was sacked from his previous position: “No, he wasn’t sacked at all, he’s still [involved].”

Photo: Action Images

Ipswich_Loyal added 07:15 - Nov 19 “It's his money and Mick makes the decisions on the team and they don't need any of us involved in any of that.” It pleases me that he stays away from negotiations, needs to be left to a proper football man like Mick, and the owner.
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wilnisfan added 07:43 - Nov 19 He makes a lot of sense, I enjoy listening to Milne.
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Flewitt85 added 07:46 - Nov 19 I think clubs will start looking at Murphy now! I know he's 31 but he's scoring nearly every game and if any player is doing that no matter how old they are clubs are going to start looking at them. Watch this space!
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RegencyBlue added 09:03 - Nov 19 He talks a lot more sense than Clegg ever did thats for sure!
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Guthrum added 10:31 - Nov 19 I think this is the advantage of having a strong-minded, but knowlegeable and experienced, Manager, in that he can deal with decision-making on the football side of the club, leaving the Chief Exec clear to run the business side, where his expertise is. It becomes a mutually beneficial relationship, far better than what appears to have been the previous arrangement.
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Guthrum added 10:35 - Nov 19 I like his openness and clarity. Explains the situation, rather than the usual, vague "there will be money available" sound-bites.
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itfc1981 added 14:49 - Nov 19 Cleggy just seems like a bad dream these days.
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Ipswichbusiness added 16:35 - Nov 19 This is a complete disgrace. How can he go through an entire interview without promising to repainted the turnstiles?
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Warkys_Tash added 00:07 - Nov 20 Hands off Tyrone, we need to keep this promotion squad together: http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/chelsea-eye-tyrone-mings-tr
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