Brighton boss Mickey Adams says personal terms could prevent Matt Richards from joining the Seagulls on a permanent basis. Richards, whose Town deal is up in the summer, has completed a third loan spell at the Withdean Stadium.
Adams said: "We've had an initial talk with Matt's agent. Personal terms may be a problem for us.
"While he has been at this club, Ipswich have supplemented his wages to a degree, so if things don't change there then we are obviously looking for a left-back.â€Â
The Seagulls have already been linked with a move for Leeds full-back Ben Parker if they are unable to negotiate terms with Richards, who is almost certainly available on a free transfer.
The former England U21 international is back at Portman Road but looks well out of manager Jim Magilton's plans.
Richards, whose last Town appearance was back in March 2007, has made 65 appearances for Albion across three loan spells, scoring twice.