Town, Wolves, Huddersfield and Dutch side Sparta Rotterdam are all reported to be keeping tabs on Southend United midfielder Jack Payne, who looks set to leave Roots Hall in the summer.

According to the Southend Echo, the quartet are all interested in the highly-rated 21-year-old, who will out of contract at the end of the season having failed to agree new terms.

In March, TWTD reported that Town boss Mick McCarthy was spotted at Roots Hall watching the League One game between Southend and Crewe Alexandra in which Payne scored a last-minute penalty as the sides drew 1-1.

The 5ft 5in tall attacking midfielder was released by Tottenham as a schoolboy and subsequently joined the Shrimpers.

Having come through the Essex club’s youth system Payne, who can play centrally, wide or up front, broke into the senior side at the start of the 2013/14 season.

Since then the Londoner has gone on to make 52 starts and 35 sub appearances, scoring 17 goals.

Photo: Action Images

JimmyJazz added 09:22 - May 4 Yes, better prospect than Moncur IMHO
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floridaboy added 09:28 - May 4 Better prospect than Hyam, Coke and Douglas!
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dirtyboy added 09:30 - May 4 Geographically, we're in with a shout I guess. I wonder if our wage structure will be enough.
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Bluespeed added 09:34 - May 4 Don't hold your breath, we won't pay as much as Southend in wages !!
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Lathers added 09:35 - May 4 5 foot 5 inches tall? He doesn't really fit the MM profile, but much better to take a punt on a decent prospect (and I guess his wages won't be massive) rather than pay top wages for a 30-something year old at the end of their career. I think this summer will be the most exciting we've seen for years in terms of comings and goings. I believe the message has finally hit home and MM and ME will spend and improve the squad. If they don't then MM will be getting stick from the 1st game of the season.

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Bluebell added 09:38 - May 4 On paper we must be the best team out of that lot. Unless Noel Hunt and Anthony Wordsworth tell him not to touch us with a barge pole unless he like hoof ball!
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DutchTractorboy added 09:40 - May 4 My favorite Dutch and my favorite English club after the same player. Now there's a first. And a dilemma. I'll leave it up to Jack. Choose wisely my son.... ;-)
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midastouch added 09:44 - May 4 Sounds a promising prospect. Always an element of risk when players step up to a higher level but he's only 21 so plenty of time to develop and improve further. Hopefully he'll sign and be up for the challenge. I'm sure the fans would welcome him with open arms and get behind him from the off as we desperately need more invention and goals from midfield. Let's hope we get him and he does the business.

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phillo added 09:57 - May 4 Sounds promising ..... will defer to JimmyJazz's knowledge re Moncur but would love to see either signed to be fair (neither being a 30+ Irish/ex Wolves DM !! 😊) Good start ....
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muccletonjoe added 10:00 - May 4 Not seen him , but have heard he is good enough for championship. Depends if he wants to come here.
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GeoffSentence added 10:01 - May 4 5' 5" , Could be the new Tabby
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blueblood66 added 10:03 - May 4 Sounds interesting!
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Monkey_Blue added 10:09 - May 4 Moronic comments like "we won't pay as much as Southend in wages" just shows how some people can't be honest and say if MM signed messi they would still complain.
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Monkey_Blue added 10:12 - May 4 Also most of Micks signings have been neither over 30 or ex wolves. People really do see what they want to see. They've read that comment and repeat it because they haven't got enough of a brain to work out its garbage
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hoppy added 10:14 - May 4 Hmmm, I'm not sure, GeoffSentence. Is he as fantastic, smashing and great as Tabby? I know at 5ft 5in, I wouldn't call him a tall attacking midfielder tho.
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markytitfc66 added 10:20 - May 4 Another promising young player to sit in the background, have all the attacking flair knocked out of him and then be released from his contract with Mick saying"great Lad but not for me" Cynical?
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GiveusaWave added 10:21 - May 4 Williams is 5ft 7 and Fraser is 5ft 4 so I don't honestly think his height will be an issue Lathers. Strongly agree with the rest of your post, I do feel it's going to be an interesting Summer in terms of transfers. The Southend echo is a pretty reliable source so this story may well be true. Slightly concerned that Wolves are in the equation as they do have a higher wage structure to ours and have been successful in luring our targets to them. Hopefully distance could prove a positive factor as Southend to Ipswich isn't too far and he may not need to relocate. I know nothing about the player but he seems to tick the right boxes (creative midfielder, young etc). If we are suddenly being linked to goalkeepers I would be seriously worried. We will pay more than Southend.

3

BrettenhamBlue added 10:36 - May 4 Payne has good stats and can play with either his left or right which has got to be advantageous. I am a tad cynical that he can raise himself in the pecking order above our present midfielders. Can he play defensive midfield? Time will tell. He doesn't appear to be a typical MM signing. I hope he doesn't end up like Oar, Henshall,Stewart, Connolly, that other young Irish player pre-Connolly, Parr. https://www.statbunker.com/players/getPlayerStats?player_id=44622

3

BlueNomad added 10:43 - May 4 In Championship terms we are relatively high payers, which actually reduces the amount that can be spent on transfer fees but isn't as sexy to the CM crowd who attach a price to everything without considering the value.
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essexboy added 10:50 - May 4 I am a Southend boy and I can tell you now,he is quality.Ipswich would do well to sign him.He will add a great deal to the team.Sign him up MM.
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Lightningboy added 10:53 - May 4 Don't know anything about him tbh but I think this is the sort of player we should be going for this summer. The team needs a fresh injection of hungry young players with 3 or 4 years experience behind them in leagues 1 & 2. I know many will disagree but imho we will continue to go absolutely nowhere if we persevere with below average players like Skuse,Douglas,Coke,Tabb,Toure,Varney,Foley etc etc...we just keep making the same mistakes over and over with the majority of our signings i.e. Injury prone Journeymen who take us nowhere and stifle any youth being given a chance. If we can't change our manager then it is time for a change in our transfer policy.

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rickw added 10:56 - May 4 Reading the Southend fans views on this on shrimperzone most seem to say he was inconstant first half of last season, but improved a lot so much so Brown largely built the team around him in the second half. They think he has a lot of potential and great talent, but gives the ball away quite a lot and they think he needs 1 more season in league 1 before he's ready to step up to the Championship - they also believe he needs to be playing in his best position (attacking midfield) to be a success

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BrettenhamBlue added 10:57 - May 4 Lightningboy I do see your point but think Foley still has something to offer next season and Varney when fully fit can cause other championship teams problems. Skuse has had more ok games than bad ones and does his job well.
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BlueNomad added 11:05 - May 4 Lightningboy - Skuse is well above average. We will be hard pushed to replace him.
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runningout added 11:39 - May 4 forget this one.. no point in competing for lightweights, we have a few to leave first...
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