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Keane Yet to Consider Long-Term Deals for Sunderland Pair - Ipswich Town News

Town boss Roy Keane says he is yet to consider whether the Blues will look at signing new loan strike pair Daryl Murphy and David Healy on a permanent basis in the summer. The duo joined Town from Sunderland on half-season loans on Monday.

Keane said: ”We’ve not even thought about it, to be honest with you. What you find when we’ve spoken to clubs, particularly when you’re trying to get players from the Premiership, is that they’re on decent money and rightly so, they’ve earned the move to warrant the contract.

”No doubt if the two boys score 20 goals between them, we’ll have a look at it in the summer. But they’ve only been here 24/48 hours, let’s see how it pans out.”

The Blues boss confirmed that Murphy will be seen as a striker rather than a left-sided midfielder and that the pair could go straight into Saturday’s side facing Middlesbrough at Portman Road.

Keane says the new additions can net the goals to take the Blues away from the relegation zone: "The two new lads will give us something a bit different to the other strikers we have here.

"I hope that they score goals, especially David, who is more of a goalscorer than Murph. But Murph too has got goals for me in the Championship.

"I decided we had to shake up things, especially after last Saturday. I got two in, but I was hoping to get one or two more in as well. That's something I'll be hoping to address from next week.”

Keane confirmed that it is defensive areas that he will be looking to cover with these further loan additions.

The Blues are still likely to without the injured Jon Walters and Brian Murphy for Saturday's game, while new midfield signing Devann Yao is likely to be given his first public run-out in a Town shirt for the reserves next Wednesday at Norwich.

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