Scout Hunt in Spain - Ipswich Town News

Town international scout Simon Hunt has spent this week in Spain looking at potential January signings. Jim Magilton already has Pablo Couñago and Iván Campo in his squad with a number of other Spaniards having been targeted over the last year or so.

Chief executive Derek Bowden told TWTD earlier in the week that the addition of Hunt and his Europe-wide scouting network is one of the major changes at the club since the takeover: "The beauty of being able to invest a little bit more in scouting and bringing Simon Hunt on board is that he spends most of his time out of the country. In fact he's in Spain today looking at some games.

"He has an ongoing brief for the next couple of months and beyond to scout players on the continent and bring them here, whether they are young players on a year-long loan or a longer period, or older players coming on permanent deals.

"It's something which will develop over time. We did quite a lot in the summer, a little bit in January, but we've really only just begun in terms of scouting potential players across the continent because we haven't had the wherewithal to do it before. Now, with Simon and his network of scouts, we have, but it's not a sprint.”

Bowden says he isn't surprised that Town were linked with players throughout Europe this summer: "You've got two things in parallel, you've got Simon Hunt going to games and scouts scouting for Ipswich Town who wouldn't otherwise have been at Santander or wherever, coupled with a club which is clearly spending money.

"So, if you're an agent or in anyway touting players you've probably got four or five Championship clubs who can spend money, so you automatically link your players with those clubs and hope that something comes of it.”

The chief executive is determined that the Blues learn from the mistakes of the past: "You bring players in on astronomic wages, then you upset the balance of the dressing room. Jim was in the middle of all that and we're not going to do that. We haven't done it, and we're not going to do it.

"We'll pay players fairly, but we want them to be here because they want to be here and they want to join in the ‘project' of being promoted.”

Spain appears to be a country where the Blues are particularly keen to forge links with coach Steve Foley having made a number of visits to La Liga side Valencia and having a flat in the city.

Last season central defender César Navas came close to signing for Town before opting to move to La Liga side Racing Santander, while Iván Campo joined the Blues in August, Couñago having returned to Portman Road a year earlier.

Last week TWTD revealed that former Barcelona trainee Nano had recently been on trial at Playford Road and could return for a further spell, while Málaga midfielder Javier Calleja Revilla, like Navas a former team-mate of Couñago's, said he was the subject of Town interest in the summer.

Meanwhile, Bowden has confirmed that defender Alex Bruce has not been offered a new contract and that no talks are currently ongoing with the player's agent.

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