Boss Mick McCarthy is delighted that David McGoldrick and Tyrone Mings were still Town players as the transfer window closed last night, having been targeted by Premier League Leicester City and Crystal Palace.
"The transfer window passed with a whimper didn't it, after it looked like it could be a busy day,” McCarthy said in a longer interview with Ipswich Player.
The Town boss admitted that he thought it was likely that McGoldrick would move on with the Foxes having had what is understood to have been a £6.5 million offer turned down last week and then a subsequent bid believed to have been £7 million rebuffed yesterday.
Although not commenting on specific figures, the Blues have confirmed that the offer, if it had been accepted, would have been second biggest incoming fee in the club's history.
Connor Wickham was sold to Sunderland for an initial £8.1 million in the summer of 2011, while Kieron Dyer joined Newcastle for a fee which eventually rose to £6.5 million in the summer of 1999. Reports that the Blues were asking £11 million for McGoldrick yesterday are understood to be wide of the mark.
"I thought Didz might be on his way to Leicester,” he added. "I said that on Saturday but [owner] Marcus [Evans] didn’t ever want it to happen. He turned down a substantial amount of money and the deal fell through.
"Obviously I’m delighted that Didz is staying. I’ve got a player that I thought I might be without so it’s a good ‘signing’ for us in the window!”
Crystal Palace, who were also linked with a move for McGoldrick, made a £2.5 million offer for 21-year-old left-back Tyrone Mings, which was also rejected.
"I spoke to Neil Warnock," McCarthy continued. "He asked about Tyrone and I told him what a good player he is and that I didn’t want to lose him.
"That didn’t deter their interest. It often doesn’t in football and they made a substantial bid for him.
"Marcus deals with the finances and he didn’t want to lose him either so he’s still with us and I’m delighted with that because he’s a good player.”
It’s understood that the possibility of Jonny Williams returning to the Blues on loan was mooted as potentially being part of a proposed offer for Mings. The Wales international may well be close to the top of McCarthy’s loan wish-list when Football League clubs are able to sign players on ‘emergency’ loans from September 9th.
Meanwhile, Town’s U21s, who drew 1-1 with Sheffield Wednesday last night, will play a behind closed doors friendly at West Ham on Thursday afternoon.