Keane Closing in on Strike Target - Ipswich Town News
Boss Roy Keane says he is closing in on signing a new striker, although refused to confirm whether that man is Cardiff frontman Michael Chopra. The Town manager is a big fan of Chopra, who played under him at Sunderland, but says there are other hitmen also in his sights.
Keane says he is getting near to adding his fourth signing of the summer: "We’re very, very close, unbelievably close. Just like any other player, there’s negotiations, there are talks going on.
"Obviously, Chops has been mentioned a number of times, but Chops isn’t the only striker on the planet, you have to be aware of that. We’re talking to a few other clubs and I spoke to Dave Jones about other stuff. It’s not always about Michael Chopra, trust me.”
At the weekend, Cardiff manager Dave Jones said Town’s offer for the 26-year-old didn’t yet match the figure the Welsh club still owe Sunderland for the one-time Newcastle trainee.
Keane says no moves in or out of the club are likely before the season’s opening game at Middlesbrough on Saturday.
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McKenna: An Inevitable DecisionTown boss Kieran McKenna says it was an ‘inevitable decision’ for referee Stephen Martin to abandon the Blues’ match at Blackburn Rovers and expects to return to Ewood Park to restage the contest.
Blackburn Rovers 1-0 Ipswich Town - Match AbandonedTown look set to face a return trip to Blackburn Rovers later in the season after this afternoon’s game was abandoned after 80 minutes due to a waterlogged pitch with the home side 1-0 up and with the Blues down to 10 men. Jacob Greaves was shown a straight red card four minutes after the break for hauling down Yuki Ohashi, then Rovers skipper Todd Cantwell netted a penalty on 59, but the heavy rain had made the game increasingly farcical the longer it progressed and in the 80th minute referee Stephen Martin took the players off and then 25 minutes later abandoned it entirely.