Boss Mick McCarthy believes Aaron Cresswell deserves to play in the Premier League and admits that it will be a “real balancing act” to do the best thing for both his first-choice left-back and deputy Tyrone Mings this summer.
Mings, 21, has had few first-team opportunities since joining the club from non-league Chippenham Town in December 2012 with Cresswell’s fitness and consistency restricting him to seven starts and 12 sub appearances, having made his debut at Burnley on the final day of last season.
McCarthy says Mings, who signed a new contract until 2015 earlier in the campaign, has been unfortunate not to be involved more regularly, but is pleased Cresswell has been available to keep him out of the team.
"Had Frazer Richardson not been here - and for a long time we only had Ty as cover - he would have played at right-back [against Bournemouth],” he said.
"I’m disappointed for him, but it means that we’ve had Cressy, our best left-back, fit all season, which is why he hasn’t played. But for Ty I’m disappointed.”
The Town boss says the pair’s future is something to think about come the close season.
"We’ll see what happens in the summer with Cressy and if anything does. Because all the talk’s starting again, the speculation,” he added.
"And he deserves to play in the Premier League, Cressy. Bizarrely enough, if he doesn’t, then we could ruin two left-backs because if he stays in this league for another season he might start to think that it’s an opportunity missed.
"And if he stays in the league for another season, then Tyrone Mings won’t play and that’s going to be counterproductive for him. So there’s a real balancing act for the summer.”
Scouts from Newcastle United, Southampton and West Brom were at the recent 2-2 home draw with AFC Bournemouth again running the rule over Cresswell.
The trio are amongst several Premier League clubs to have watched the 24-year-old in action on numerous occasions this season with the Magpies and Saints both subsequently reported to be ready to firm up their interest with summer bids said to be in the region of £4 million.
Fulham have also been regular visitors to Portman Road, while Tottenham, Crystal Palace, Cardiff, West Ham, Hull City and Everton have all been linked at one time or another. Aston Villa made an enquiry in the summer of 2012.
Cresswell, who McCarthy has repeatedly said he regards as the best left-back in the Championship, signed a new contract until the summer of 2017 in December having been linked with a move to the top flight during the last four transfer windows.
If the Liverpudlian were to move on this time around his former club Tranmere Rovers would be entitled to 20 per cent of the profit the Blues would make on the £420,000 they paid for him after his switch to Portman Road in the summer of 2011.
A Football League tribunal set a compensation figure of an initial £240,000 plus milestone clauses, with only a £100,000 payment on promotion to the Premier League not triggered.
With Town adhering strictly to the Financial Fair Play rules, McCarthy is unlikely to have much of a transfer war chest at his disposal this summer unless a current player is sold for a significant fee.