Striker DJ Campbell will play the last game of his loan spell with the Blues against Brighton tomorrow but with manager Mick McCarthy hopeful that the 31-year-old QPR striker will return to Portman Road. The Town boss says the frontman is keen to join the Blues permanently with a fee having been discussed with the Premier League club and a contract offered to the player’s agent.
McCarthy says Campbell, whose spell ends on Saturday, will return to QPR at least for the short term: "I’ve spoken to Harry and what he will do is he’ll go back first, this will be his last game because whether we’d got permission to play him in the cup or not I wasn’t going to play him.
"He’ll go back and then we’ll see what happens after that. I think Harry in his position will justifiably want to have a look at him.
"That was always the case, he was going to go back and we are trying to do a deal to keep him. Hopefully we can, fingers crossed. We’ll see.”
He says personal terms have already been discussed: "We’re speaking to his agent and I’ve spoken to DJ and we’ve offered him a permanent deal effectively — there’s a permanent deal there for him if that’s what he wants to do.
"But it’s not only him, it’s agreeing with the club. Ts and Cs, terms and conditions for everybody. I haven’t spoken about terms, I don’t get into that, it’s down to the club to decide that, down to Marcus and Simon to discuss that.
"I’d advise and prompt and probe and suggest what we do to what level, but I think we’re capable of getting a deal with him. I hope so anyway.”
McCarthy, who confirmed that a fee has been discussed between the clubs, says Town’s 10-goal top scorer wants to remain at the club: "DJ wants to stay. He wouldn’t want to be playing for QPR because he’s not been playing for them and the way things were with him.
"I’ve never asked him that question, but I guess if he was to go back and Harry stuck him in the team and he played well and he scored and he’s happy, he’d want to stay there. And why wouldn’t he, playing in the Premier League?
"If that’s not the case, then he loves it here and he’s be happy to stay provided we could do a deal with him and his agent, and with QPR, for him to stay. There’s a lot there to be dealt with.”
Campbell is set to rejoin his parent club in time for training on Thursday morning and could play in their FA Cup third round tie with West Brom on Saturday.