Liverpool are now reported to be leading the chase for Town youngster Andre Dozzell.

According to the Daily Mirror the Reds have already held talks with the Blues regarding the 16-year-old, who is also interesting Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham United.

The Mirror reports that the Blues would receive compensation of around £1.5 million if the England U17 international were to move on.

Academy scholar Dozzell, the son of former Town and Spurs midfielder Jason, has agreed a two-year professional deal with the Blues which will be formalised when he turns 17 on May 2nd.

Speaking to TWTD after links with Tottenham and Arsenal last month, father Jason said he believes Portman Road is the best place for his son, who featured for the U21s against Sheffield Wednesday last night, at this stage of his career, comments he reiterated on Saturday's Life's a Pitch on Radio Suffolk.

“Experience tells me that paper talk is paper talk,” he told TWTD. “There’s a big difference between someone having interest and putting a cheque on the table. As far as I’m concerned it’s nothing.”

He added: “Ipswich is the best place for him. He’s obviously been on the bench, he’s close, the manager likes him. His pathway at the moment is Ipswich Town.

“If he goes to a big club his pathway would be blocked, there will be a lot more players, a lot more better players, I would imagine.

“All you can ask for is to be close to the first team. I thought it would happen next year but it’s happening this year.

“I’m happy with the way he’s progressing, I’m happy with how they’re looking after him as a parent and that’s all you can ask for really."

Photo: Action Images

alfromcol added 11:32 - Apr 12 Under MM unlikely he will get much of a look in at Town.
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bohslegend added 11:49 - Apr 12 "Under MM unlikely he will get much of a look in at Town." Yeah because MM only plays players like Mings, Bishop, Knudsen, Hyam, AMN, Fraser - oh wait you meant because he IS young. Oh right so you mean players like Bishop, AMN, Fraser, McGoldrick, Bru - oh wait you mean because he IS a ball-player.
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TimmyH added 11:56 - Apr 12 Sadly that's the current state of football, BIG clubs always poaching the smaller ones for prospective talent, even if Mick was playing him currently or from now to the end of the season it just serves to put himself out there. Hopefully he'll listen to his dad, the only other thing is to put a big price on his head (I'm sure the owner will love that).
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blueherts added 12:07 - Apr 12 Answers on a postcard - MM plays the ball through the midfield or over it ? I love the fact we have young creative players coming through Bishop , Dozzell , Benyu etc but lets get a 'style' of football where their abilities are maximised to the fullest and an owner who doesnt just look at an talented player as an asset not as a part of the future of the club That is all I am saying

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itfcbam added 12:13 - Apr 12 Nice to see there are some realistic comments on here. Sadly if Liverpool offer more than we can and Andre has his head turned then there is very little we can do if he hasn't signed a pro contract (which legally he can't till May). Am sure, as is the common theme, MM will get the blame if he goes. We have to brace ourselves for the summer as well unless someone can come up with a sensible way of us covering the annual 6 million deficit.

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midastouch added 12:13 - Apr 12 So Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham United want to bag a player that Mick up until now doesn't? All the Ipswich fans desperately want to see AD given a chance to shine, but Big Mick knows best (ha ha!). He wants a midfield stacked with hard-tackling clones that can only pass sideways or backwards. Well I've got news for you Mick. Ipswich is a football team, not a rugby team! In football you can actually keep the ball on the deck. And guess what, you can also pass it forwards, not just sideways and backwards. Perhaps if Exkuse could get the ball forwards and score a few he might get interest from the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal, but we all know that's never going to happen. I'm sick of the Excuses Mick, get in AD and give us something to shout about. If you put AD in the team many more will come and watch, but if you keep playing all the side-passers that send Portman Road to sleep, no chance!!! Get in Bishop and AD. I'd rather see an 80% fit Bishop play for 60 minutes than Cole Excuse Rasputin Douglas play for an entire season! As for Hyam, if he was playing in my back garden I'd draw the curtains! I reckon if you asked Mick if he'd prefer to win and lose a game, or draw two, he'd say the latter! & has he got a nil nil bonus agreement in his contract or something? Sort it out Mick, we're bored stiff, the way you're going we'll have to rename Portman Road to Jurassic Park soon!

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hoppy added 12:13 - Apr 12 Don't know what you mean, bohslegend! I remember his dad having silky skills, so if Andre is similar, then hopefully he'll get a chance to use them by Mick (or whoever) utilising him in the way that he has used creative players when they've been available to him and not injured. I don't think he'd thrive if hoofball is the way we continue to play.
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Mark added 12:13 - Apr 12 It would be nice to at least see him play a game before he leaves but, if true, this says it all about modern football. We should not rush to sell any young player, and I read we rejected a £3M bid for Mings a year before he sold for £8M so that goes to show. Premier League money is absolutely crazy from next season, so what's to say we can't sell Dozzell for £20M in a few years time?! If we are not going to the Premier League ourselves we should at least invest in young players, develop them, then sell them on for big profits (part of which is reinvested). That's a long term strategy. Buy young players, not bring in the likes of Coke, Toure and Varney.

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Bluetone added 12:15 - Apr 12 its a shame but Evans seems to be running the Academy as the football equivalent of a pig fattening unit. All credit to Klug for bringing youngsters through with footballing skills just a shame the first team plays so much hoofball thus failing to utilise those skills to the fullest advantage.
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jas0999 added 12:16 - Apr 12 If he goes I would expect Evans to reinvest every last penny in the playing squad including the signing of quality players for a fee. Not spout rubbish that money received plus the £13 M has gone on an increase of 25% on wages.
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midastouch added 12:19 - Apr 12 "IF IN DOUBT, HOOF IT OUT!" Mick McCarthy 66 BC
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midastouch added 12:21 - Apr 12 In Mick We CRUST!
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midastouch added 12:29 - Apr 12 This was their darkest hour we shall HOOF it on the beaches, we shall HOOF it on the landing grounds, we shall HOOF it in the fields and in the streets, we shall HOOF it in the hills; we shall never surrender
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NSL added 12:41 - Apr 12 If the big boys come knocking, such is the gap that you can't do anything about it I'm afraid. Although the decisions at ITFC are questionable at present it's the game which is broken in respect of young players. 1.5m and 10k a week will no doubt do the trick, a year for Liverpool development squad and then loaned out to Derby as we won't match the wages.
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RYITFC added 12:48 - Apr 12 Get him in the team, we've got nothing to play for & tbh the way we're playing i'm sure it will be an improvement on what we've got at the moment. Let's give the kid a reason to want to stay.
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brian_a_mul added 12:50 - Apr 12 I think he will be here for the next few seasons, if Jasons comments are anything to go by. He is progressing well, being looked after and has a genuine affection for the club. Look at others that left early like Wickham, his game time and progress stalled for a few years. On the opposite side, many of the Leicester team cut their teeth in the Championship (Vardy/ Drinkwater etc) and stayed together. Playing week in week out and developing before becoming genuine title winners (hopefully) and international footballers. Phil: Could the Academy classification rules force our hand in this case? Basically are we obliged to sell to a higher class academy if an appropriate compensation is determined by the governing bodies?

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Westy added 13:06 - Apr 12 If Andre' is sold, what would have been the point of certain supporters financing the Academy - to creat profit for Marcus Evans ?
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Kikapu added 13:19 - Apr 12 Westy (have you not reading the posts) we don't have a choice. Andre has the choice as to where he wants to play and to whom he'll sign his 1st professional contract with.
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blueherts added 13:57 - Apr 12 brian-a-mul - Leicester have been the star of the show this year and a great revelation Did they play it by the FFP rule book - no - did they have investment and a budget - yes - BUT they had a manager who looked to play a style of football that first and foremost was offensive - Bohs legend - Bru is a central midfielder but never gets to play there because we NEED two DMs - according to the book of Mick chapter 1

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bohslegend added 15:05 - Apr 12 Blueherts you can play with 2 All Out Attacking midfielders if you want but that doesnt guarantee winning games either, especially if every time you lose the ball the opposition scores. MM went gung ho at the start of the season with three forwards and we suffered for it. He did go back to a more solid looking shape after that and we fought our way back to an inch of the play offs. The context throughout the season has to be that we've had just about all of our creative players and/or most attacking players injured for long spells, sometimes at the same time as each other. A team on a tight budget cannot sustain such a stretch on its already strained resources and certainly can't pretend to be Brazil-esque at the same time. I'm not saying things are going as well as we all hoped at the start of the season, of course they aren't. But neither am I looking to scapegoat the manager when it's so obvious there isn't another proven manager out there who could do better with the shoe-string budget MM has worked miracles with.

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leahcar88 added 15:14 - Apr 12 Yes Bohslegend but it's time for the next step
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blueherts added 15:26 - Apr 12 The Reading game was the point where MM decided that was it - a poor night in front of the cameras - but the trouble is - as a counter point - we can go all out defensive with 2 defensive midfielders and give the ball away on our 18 yard line - as we have done - and the oppo score - Non one is asking for Barcelona or even Arsenal just a group of experienced , we trained footballers who look to play the ball out not launch it at every opportunity I respect the view of others but 5 wins since Jan 01 is not very good - is it ? As far as there not being another manager out there - I do not know ? No one will know ? Mick says 'be careful what you wish for !' - but then he would wouldnt he

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blues1 added 16:32 - Apr 12 Wubble, dozzell is just about to turn 18, not 16 years old. This is why we can offer him a professional contract. Do wish some on here would think before they comment. Seems everyone wants to slag the club off for every little thing. As some have rightly said, the club have NO control over this situation. If he wants to go he can, simple as that. Has nothing to go do with how the club is being run. If he goes, then the club are as much a victim of the rules governing young players as us, the fans. There's a lot to criticise the club over right now. This is not 1 of them tho.

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blues1 added 16:34 - Apr 12 Sorry wubble, just seen I mistaken about his age there. Was under the impression a player had to be 18 to sign pro terms, not 17
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yorksblue added 18:07 - Apr 12 Town was best option for his dad. Didn't stop him going to Spurs
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