Town striker Jon Stead is weighing up whether to join Coventry City on loan with a view to a permanent move in the summer. Stead, the Blues' joint top scorer along with Jon Walters with six, has been on the bench since the arrival of Daryl Murphy and David Healy earlier this month.
According to reports in the Midlands, Town gave Coventry permission to hold talks with Stead yesterday and the Sky Blues hope to have the deal completed in time for the 26-year-old to face QPR — for the second time in a few days - on Saturday.
Coventry boss Chris Coleman has already added West Ham’s Freddie Sears to his squad and says he is hopeful of landing his second striking target: "We’ve been working hard to get a striker in before Saturday but we are still working away hard to get one more in before the weekend.
"Everything is agreed with the club and it is just getting him to sign, so I don’t want to tempt fate but we are very optimistic.”
Stead joined the Blues from Sheffield United at the start of the 2008/09 season, initially on loan before Town paid the Blades a fee of £600,000.
A switch to Coventry may well suit Town and Stead with the player appearing unlikely to play too many games now that Murphy and Healy have signed on loan from Sunderland, while the Blues are looking to make savings on the wage bill as they target further loan additions.
Meanwhile, new Town loanee David Healy says he is enjoying his time with the Blues. Writing in his column in the Belfast Telegraph, Healy said: "Two games into my new career at Ipswich Town and I have to say I’m loving it.
"After sitting on the bench or in the stands for most of the season with Sunderland, it’s fantastic to feel part of things again at a football club.”