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Blues Linked With New Watkins Move - Ipswich Town News

Town will reportedly renew their interest in Barnsley’s Marley Watkins during the January transfer window.

The Blues had a £1 million offer for the versatile 26-year-old turned down in August following Daryl Murphy’s departure for Newcastle, shortly after Watkins had scored and claimed an assist in Town’s 4-2 opening day win over the South Yorkshiremen at Portman Road.

According to the Sunday Mirror Town are set to revive their interest in Watkins, who scored his fifth goal of the season for the Tykes before being sent off in Friday’s 5-2 defeat to Nottingham Forest, when the transfer window opens.

Lewisham-born Watkins was brought up in Swansea and joined the youth set-up with the Welsh club.

Watkins, who is 6ft 1in tall, moved on before making a senior appearance and broke into first-team football with Cheltenham before joining Bath City, initially on loan, and then Hereford United in 2012.

A year later he moved on to Inverness Caledonian Thistle, where he scored the opening goal in the 2-1 2015 Scottish Cup final win against Falkirk, before signing for Barnsley in the summer of 2015.

Watkins, whose grandfather was famous Welsh poet Vernon Watkins, who was close friends with Dylan Thomas, is out of contract at Oakwell next summer. He has made 54 starts and six sub appearances for the Tykes, scoring 13 goals.

Primarily a right-sided midfielder for much of his career, Watkins can also operate on the left and as a centre forward, having played there for Barnsley earlier this season and previously at Caley Thistle.

Watkins has previously been named on standby for Wales but without making it into a squad.

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