Out-of-contract striker Noel Hunt has rejoined the Blues squad for pre-season training. On Tuesday, TWTD revealed that the Irish international had been offered the chance to come back and train with Town.
Hunt was one of the five players whose terms were up at the end of the season who were not handed a new contract but told manager Mick McCarthy wasn’t ruling out offering them a deal later in the summer.
Midfielder Darren Ambrose joined up with the squad on Tuesday with McCarthy challenging him to win himself a fourth stint at the club.
Hunt could also be given a deal if he impresses but is understood to be primarily back at Playford Road to get himself fit ahead of the new season as he looks for another club.
The former Reading and Leeds man would appear to have a tough ask to secure another contract at Town with the Blues already having four senior strikers plus Luke Varney, who is expected to be given a contract once he recovers from his achilles injury.
The 32-year-old joined the Blues initially on loan from Leeds in November 2014 and scored a dramatic debut winner having come on as a sub at Charlton.
After being released by the Whites, he re-signed for the Blues on a short-term deal in January and in total made three starts and nine sub appearances, scoring three goals.
The other three players in the same position as Ambrose and Hunt - Paul Anderson, Stephen Hunt and Richard Chaplow - are not expected to return to the club, although speaking on Tuesday McCarthy was still to totally rule out their return. Stephen Hunt is currently back in Ireland working on his UEFA B Licence.
We understand that Ambrose will be included in the squad which travels to the Carton House Hotel in Co Kildare for a training camp next week, but that as things stand Hunt will not make the trip.
Meanwhile, Town are expected to confirm the signing of Arsenal youngster Ainsley Maitland-Niles on a season-long loan this afternoon.