Town boss Mick McCarthy says there is a potential deal on the cards for trialist striker Leon Best and that he is edging closer to making another addition to his squad.

Former Rotherham and Newcastle frontman Best, 29, scored for the Blues U23s in Monday’s 3-2 defeat to Birmingham.

“I thought he did fine in the U23s game,” McCarthy said. “He scored a really good goal and he’s trained with us today and he’ll train with us tomorrow.

“There is a potential deal on the cards for him. He brings something different and bear in mind we’ve got two or three international breaks where Murph will be away and there’s the potential for him to come back with a stress or a strain.

“We’ve got Didz out until November, probably 12 weeks, 10 to 12 weeks, so a bit of extra fire power won’t do us any harm.”

McCarthy says he is likely to make at least one further addition to his squad before the transfer window closes next Wednesday, probably a loanee.

“There is but it is kind of dependent on other things falling a little bit. But we’re getting closer and closer, I think,” he said.

McCarthy admitted that he looked at West Ham winger Martin Samuelsen, who joined Blackburn on loan this morning, but says another still-ongoing target has been of more serious interest.

“There were a number of players that we’ve been looking at,” he added. “I’ve got somebody else I’m looking at.

“I like Martin, I saw him play the other night, but I do think that we’ve got enough young ‘uns in the team.

“We’ve got some of ours, like Bish, who is still very young, Dozzer is still very young and the Championship is a brutal league, to be honest with you.

“A bit of Championship experience would be my preference. So we never really got to that stage and there were a lot of clubs that were looking at him.”

McCarthy, who revealed he isn't targeting goalkeepers, central defenders or central midfield players, refused to comment on links with Newcastle striker Adam Armstrong: “If I sign anybody you’ll get notified.”

The Town boss has made defender Piotr Malarczyk, midfielder Giles Coke and winger Cameron Stewart available for transfer but says there’s been no movement so far.

“They’re all still here, but this next week is going to be fun, I think, because there are going to be a lot of players who are going to be at clubs and not get games. And clubs can’t take them after next Wednesday.”

He added: “I think there’ll be players who will be prepared to go out and play somewhere. I’m not on about my players but players at other clubs where maybe what they would like is one thing but what they can get is a totally different thing.

“But what they can get is football, and when they tell you their job title it’s footballer - go and play football.”

McCarthy says there could be interest in his younger fringe players from clubs in the lower leagues before the window closes.

Photo: Action Images

bobbyramsey added 14:18 - Aug 25 We can always do deals with the players that no-one elsewants. Strange that?
5

tractorboybig added 14:23 - Aug 25 quite agree, all the dregs because players prefer teams at the bottom of the league to us, and its not just money.
5

vanmunt added 14:26 - Aug 25 Journey man donkey confirmed........ though to be honest, we do have enough of our own younger players I would like to see get a chance.
4

GiveusaWave added 14:28 - Aug 25 Doesn't fill me with confidence to be honest. Best has scored 10 goals in the last four years and has in the last two seasons been released by Blackburn and Rotherham. Rotherham fans regard his performance against us as his best by a long way in a Rotherham shirt. Derby, Wednesday and Brighton fans were very unhappy with his performances for them (having looked through forums Wednesday fans were mildly less unhappy). I saw him a couple of times in 2010 but he seems a very different player to the player he was then. We really need some good news at the club, and I don't regard a 1-1 draw at home to Norwich as good news.

9

jw23 added 14:39 - Aug 25 Cut Mick some slack, Leon will be 4th or 5th choice & I think we are pretty well catered for up top with good quality players.
1

BrettenhamBlue added 14:49 - Aug 25 Do you think Newcastle will give us Armstrong if we give them Stewart, Malarcyk and Coke?? Best not the best option. Last minute shopping at poundland brought in Coke and Toure and we don't want more of the same. Winger and rb needed.
12

GiveusaWave added 14:52 - Aug 25 Same people mark me down no matter what I say. Oh well. The truth hurts.
4

12th_Man added 14:53 - Aug 25 Get it done and stop talking about it
1

rgp1 added 14:57 - Aug 25 I reckon the hold up on signings is due to a procurement issue with the Zimmer frame suppliers. All joking aside, this league is rubbish as was proved last Sunday as many on here assumed Barcelona play in yellow and green!
6

Green_Army added 14:59 - Aug 25 Kaikai and Armstrong to finish the window would be nice!
3

TheSelkirk added 15:01 - Aug 25 jw23 - can't say I agree that we have quality strikers available or that Best would be 4th or 5th choice. We certainly don't have any 'on form' strikers on the books at the moment. That is where we are distinctly lacking at present.
9

jw23 added 15:07 - Aug 25 TheSelkirk- I agree they are not in form but I think most teams in the division would be happy be happy with Murphy, McGoldrick, Pitman & Sears. If we can get Ward, Bish as well as others providing I think all of those players can score at least 10 goals a season if they are fit, settled in a system and have a bit of confidence
2

irishtim added 15:11 - Aug 25 Give him a chance. Always slating on here.
6

ipswichdave added 15:21 - Aug 25 Leon Best looked very strong and skillful at training this morning, he held the ball up very well, took some stopping going forward and got plenty of shots on goal. I know it was only training, but think he could put pressure on Murphy.
7

Cheshire_Blue added 15:43 - Aug 25 I would ignore other Club's forums bearing in mind the rubbish written about Grant Leadbitter on this one!
10

Cakeman added 15:45 - Aug 25 I would like to see Best added to our ranks. Not over the hill at 29 and has played at the top tier. We haven't got many who could say that!
5

prebbs007 added 15:47 - Aug 25 Kightly ??
2

Jonnosdreadlocks added 15:50 - Aug 25 better option than luke ' I make cole skuse look prolific' varney.
2

bedsitfc added 15:59 - Aug 25 Just goes to prove we didn't miss out on that Martin kid at all as we were never in for him. With MM all his signings are done quickly before we can be linked. This is to stop any bidding war and paying too much, apart from trials. MM is his own man. He picks a team and gets players in that he feels will benefit our club. At the end of the day he is judged on results by ME. Yes I get as frustrated as hell when I see Douglas on the team sheet but then I am not the manager nor will I be sacked by the club for making the wrong selection as I am not the manager. Nobody can say "he hasn't done well for Ipswich town f.c) if I knew better than MM I would be a football manager.

8

essexblue88 added 16:01 - Aug 25 I dont understand why people are judgin best already. You have to give him a chance. I can remember some unheard of striker sat in Sheffield Wednesday's reserves, he turned out to be one of our best strikers! He was free, never prolific. A few seasons ago Best was hammering goals inthe Championship. It is a fact that strikers dont always fit in teams, but he is a good finisher and different to what we have. Who would have thought Murph would score over 20 goals season before last. Lets give the lad a chance, he is still young in football terms and coming into his peak. When we have seen him play some games, then we can judge.

16

Pilgrimblue added 16:10 - Aug 25 Best could do really good job for us. He may not be prolific (but then again nor was Murphy!) but he's strong and causes loads of problems for defenders when I've seen him. Maybe he's a late developer and we'll get lucky!
6

jcITFC added 16:16 - Aug 25 My friend who's a Blackburn supporter said he was the worst player to grace a rovers shirt. Says it all really
-5

BackTheBlues added 16:28 - Aug 25 Bit of bad publicity going on here for Best... Doesn't matter where the guys been - he scores goals. 1 game for U23's 1 goal - says it all! Not my preferred solution, but if he's going cheap wages and we're not at expense for anyone else - get him involved - may give Sears more competition when Ward comes back and he's jostling for 2 positions as well!
6

bedsitfc added 16:29 - Aug 25 don't mean he will be rubbish for itfc!!!!
7

Keaneish added 16:34 - Aug 25 Desperation transfer written all over it.
-2

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls