Left-back Tyrone Mings has admitted that he was flattered by Premier League Crystal Palace’s deadline day interest in him, but says he remains focused on helping Town join them in the top flight.
The Blues rejected an Eagles bid understood to have been £2.5 million, with the half-season loan of Jonny Williams thrown in as Neil Warnock's side looked to land the 21-year-old former Chippenham Town full-back.
"When I found out that Crystal Palace were interested, I spoke to the manager,” Mings told the club site.
"He told me straight that he didn’t want me to be sold, that I wouldn’t be going anywhere. He said that he wanted me settled here and part of his squad going forward and that was obviously nice to hear.
"All the Crystal Palace interest was flattering,” he admitted. "I’d be lying if I said otherwise — with a Premier League club willing to pay money for me at this stage of my career but it’s in the past now.
"I’ve obviously only been in the game a short while and things have gone well for me at Ipswich.
"I’m certainly very happy and I’m looking forward to the future here. I want to help the club reach the Premier League. That is the goal for me and everyone else here.”
Meanwhile, we understand that former Blue Mark Venus was close to being named Colchester United’s new manager before another ex-Town centre-half Tony Humes was appointed on Monday following Joe Dunne’s departure.
Venus, whose last job was assisting Tony Mowbray at Middlesbrough, is still based on the Suffolk/Essex border.