Boss Roy Keane says the Blues have no interest in selling 17-year-old striker Connor Wickham. Tottenham have been linked with bids of up to £8 million for the England U17 international frontman with Keane confirming that the club has received offers for some of his "most important" players.

Keane told Ipswich Player that as far as he’s concerned Wickham is going nowhere: “Like we said last season, Connor is very much one for the future. We believe he is going to be a top, top player. He’s had a very good end of season, he’s been away with England, but Connor’s very much part of our plans.

“From the club and the owner’s point of view, we have no interest and aren’t under any pressure to sell him and that’s good news for everyone because we need players like Connor to produce next year if we are going to have a successful season.”

Keane admits that there have been offers for players he doesn’t want to sell, probably the likes of Wickham and skipper Jon Walters, strongly linked with Stoke once again, but says there are no moves in prospect for members of the squad who are out of his plans: “We’ve had a number of phonecalls and one or two offers for what I would class as our most important players, who we have no interest in letting go.

“But there’s no news on the players that we feel are surplus to requirements. There have been the usual phonecalls, but unless we get an offer for any of our boys, they’ll be back in and they’ll be part of the squad and might get another opportunity.”

The Blues are yet to make any summer signings and Keane says no formal bids have yet been made — despite reports of offers of up to £4 million for Cardiff’s Michael Chopra — although the Blues boss confirms that owner Marcus Evans and chief executive Simon Clegg have spoken with various clubs: “We have been linked with lots of players and I think particularly strikers, but we have not bid for any players. I think there have been a lot of talks between the owner, the chief executive and other clubs.

“I think everyone is being a bit cagey at the moment, it’s the same for every club. I think the deals which have gone through with Championship clubs have been players whose contracts were up.”

The Town manager hopes that new players will start to come into Portman Road sooner rather than later: “We’re no nearer to signing any players, but hopefully that will change over the next two or three weeks.

“I said at the end of the last season that patience is the key word for everybody and it’s the same for supporters. The most important thing is that we get the right players and again the right characters and if we have to wait two or three weeks, then we’ll wait.”

Town start their pre-season training programme on June 28th.

Photo: Action Images

Fatboy added 12:45 - Jun 18 So that's the end of the "Wickham out" rumours then.
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IpswichElvis added 12:52 - Jun 18 Well, I don't particularly like Keane but if he sold Wickham he would definitely have to go. Even the pro-Keane's would have to agree with that.......
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wisebluey added 12:54 - Jun 18 GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD

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Kropotkin123 added 12:55 - Jun 18 ...rumour has it we have accepted an £8.20 offer from Lincoln City, with Wickham allegedly stating 'Sutton has all the necessary experience to make me top England striker".
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Monkey_Blue added 12:59 - Jun 18 he said at the end of last seaqson he wanted players in before pre season...I am not worried if the right players come in although obvioiusly its advantageous if they are here for the start of pre season training. I just think that some of the problems may well be down to roys targets simply being the ones he knows of and that many players dont want to play for him and last seasons pathetic performance has made Ipswich less appealing as well

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Tractor_Thief added 12:59 - Jun 18 Would be a rum old kick in the knackers if we lost Wickham, especially if the dough was spent on more dross. Hopefully Wickham will come on leaps and bounds this year and help to propell us to a top 6 finish. Fingers crossed....
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itfcst added 13:20 - Jun 18 Despite renewing my season ticket I'm actually not looking forward to this season at all, I'm already sick of this constant 'Character' rubbish.
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shoopdelang added 13:21 - Jun 18 sell wickham for 8 million, get him loaned back to us for next season and maybe the season after. Then get gio back with us too.
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Wickets added 13:35 - Jun 18 your still in dream land shoopdelang pity but after last night we have no chance getting him, not that we had much chance before!!
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Redmond added 13:53 - Jun 18 thank god he is staying
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bleedblue added 13:59 - Jun 18 great news
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IpswichElvis added 14:02 - Jun 18 Keane wouldn't dare get shot of him. Anyway, I hope Keane realises that Connor is just a kid and is not going to play the full part in 46 games next year. Keane needs to get another couple of strikers to take the pressure off the boy. Unfortunately, given Keane's record of purchasing dross, Connor will probably end up playing 46 bloody games !!!!
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joeippy01 added 14:20 - Jun 18 ipswich elvis you talk a lot of sence on every post, shame more of us fans are not like you. most of them in dream land.
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runaround added 14:30 - Jun 18 By reading his comments, it seems as though Keane just tells Clegg who he wants then Clegg/M.E do the negotiating. Seems a bit strange to me, but that may explain why things seem so drawn out as far as our transfers are concerned. Good to see Connor will be staying, even though he is only a kid, if he continues to improve like he did at the end of last season, he will quickly become the first name on the teamsheet. Definitely needs the pressure taken off him though by signing another striker

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dreblue added 14:38 - Jun 18 Im 100% behind and committed to Roy been our manager but I must say that this "character" excuse is really dragging on now!!! I know its early days and its hard to do deals with the World Cup going on and players/agents on holiday but its VERY worrying when all we keep hearing is "hopefully, in 2 to 3 weeks we will have someone in" etc etc etc. If we dont get people in before pre season then yet again the excuse will be "they need time to gel etc etc etc". im PRAYING that this isnt going to be a repeat of last season but the more this drags on and we havnt sold anyone or bought anyone its worrying times!! Connor is too young to rely on and we saw that a few times last season, he needs to bring in few strikers, right back, left winger and a cover centre back. Without all these positions filled I really cant see us pushin for promotion. FACT. Fingers crossed!! COYB!!!!!!!!!

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IpswichElvis added 14:42 - Jun 18 joeippy01 - you are a gent!! Thanks mate.
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JetaimePeters added 15:10 - Jun 18 I like this, there are obviously a lot of players who aren't too passionate and just get the best deals for themselves and no longer push themselves. If it takes longer to get players who give a crepe i'm all for that. I think another striker is important but I'd prefer to see a lower league youngster like pitman/that swindon one (forgot), or even Cox from WBA (classy) although not sure how he's rated there. I still think Priskin has a lot to offer and with a more confident team around him i'd be happy with priskin, wickham and another fighting for the places. What happened to Rosenoir? Did he really rot that bad 2nd half of the season cause he looked decent early doors. Not sure what Keane is looking for in full backs, little pacy ones or big solid ones. Keano's staying, it's going to be his team next year and this is the most important season of Keane's career as a manager, he also has no excuses next year. Let's get behind them and if it doesn't work I can see him going - we were all excited by the appointment - it didnt work out lets get on with it, theres good managers out there and available. I absolutely hope it does work for Keane because he is definitely an unarguable leader and I think if we get winning everything will fall into place. KEANO! ITFC!

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itfc1981 added 15:11 - Jun 18 no wickham market! sorry.
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Lightningboy added 15:48 - Jun 18 "characters" are a bit thin on the ground these days Roy..it's 2010,not 1986..money has pretty much destroyed all character(s) the game used to have. You'll have to start motivating what you already have at your disposal and earn your money the hard way.
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Surco72 added 15:56 - Jun 18 Need to hold onto Wickham whatever ,if we do get promotion we will need his level of striker in the premiership and will then have to go out and spend the same amount of money .But we cannot put all of our hopes on him far too much pressure . Did anyone see the Burley interview when he took over at Palace ? He constantly said how he wanted to get on the training field with the players and how it was his job to coach and get the best from his players to make them better , refreshing compared to Keane who keeps telling us how players are not up to it and we need to buy and have to be" Characters ",Keane you were a great player teach Garvan,Leadbitter,Norris,Stead,Martin,Priskin,Edwards etc not just slate them for not training hard or having bad games

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IpswichElvis added 16:02 - Jun 18 Surco72 - spot on !!! That is why Burley will still be managing in 5 years while Keane is permanently walking his dogs.
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LCFC_forever added 16:16 - Jun 18 Connor Wickham is no more than an average championship striker...who if he's lucky will play play for a below average premiership team, and that certainly won't be with you, as town are a poor championship team as shown by their shoddy display last season! this keano revolution is quite fantastic i believe! poor jimmy magilton, what a good manager he was ey!
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Wickets added 16:34 - Jun 18 Hello Another LCFC with an inferiority complex !!!
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Mark added 16:39 - Jun 18 Good news about Wickham, let's hope we can hang onto him. As for bringing players in, if we just wanted one or two players I would not be too worried, but as Keane wants to bring in five and he said he wanted them before pre-season training ideally then the signs are not good thus far. I agree with comments about managing players better than are already here, as most of them are pretty good squad players if not top first teamers. It must demoralising for them that Keane wants them out, especially the likes of Stead who was doing as well as anyone up front and scoring a few goals. I remember when he got injured that it was a blow and he had to bring in John to cover his absence, yet a few weeks later Stead was sent packing.

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DebenBlue added 16:43 - Jun 18 LCFC_Foever - Yes last Season we were a Poor Championship side, we under performed no doubt about, but a new season will shortly be upon us and everything that happened last season is irrelevant. Connor Wickham will be a top class Premier League Player & England International. Not many kids at 17 have an Argentinean Intl Centre Half in their pocket away from home playing up front on his own.

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