Town keeper Bartosz Bialkowski has admitted he would be open to extending his stay at the club beyond the end of his current deal.
Asked if he would be happy to sign a new contract, the Polish custodian replied: "Absolutely and I have said that before. I am so happy here and if the gaffer and the owner gave me a new contract I would be more than happy to sit down and talk about it.”
Bialkowski, who needs just three more games to clock up a century of league appearances for the club, has one more year of his present contract to run and the club also have an option to retain his services for a further year should they choose to take it up.
But it no secret that he is coveted elsewhere, with Premier League Burnley among those interested in January and Wolves, earlier this summer, believed to have made enquiries about his availability, when we understand they were told Town's asking price would be £5 million.
No club has matched that valuation yet but Town fans will be relieved by the time the transfer window closes at 11pm on August 31st if he is still a member of Mick McCarthy’s senior squad, many fearing he could be on his way in similar fashion to striker Daryl Murphy, who was sold to Newcastle just before the deadline 12 months ago.
Bialkowski added: "There has always been some interest but there is nothing formal and there is nothing on the table. I’m fully focused on playing for Ipswich and I’m not forcing anything. I’m not going to the gaffer’s office and asking for a move.
"I’m not like that. I love every single minute at Ipswich and playing here in front of the fans. The main thing, like I’ve said before, is my family. They don’t want to leave Ipswich — they want to stay here forever — and I’m the same.”
Is he surprised there has been no firm interest from elsewhere? "No, not at all, because I’ve learned from the past,” he said.
"When I was a young kid there were agents calling me every week and talking about some top, top clubs in Europe, so I don’t want to get carried away. I just want to focus on my football and perform as well as I can.
"I get phone calls from my agent but I don’t really want to talk about it. If something is going to happen then it happens. But I just want to stay here and focus on my football — that’s it, I’m not thinking about anything else.
"My agent is dealing with everything and I am not talking to the club or other agents. I have even told my agent I don’t want to hear about anything because I just want to focus on the football. I still have a year on my contract and then there is an option for another year.”
However, Bialkowski was forced to concede that from a career — and probably a financial — point of view he would have to consider any offers from clubs in the Premier League or even one of those still in the Championship but with ambitions to join the top flight at the earliest opportunity.
He added: "It’s my career and I’ve still got another seven or eight years maybe, so I need to make the most of it. At the moment there is nothing on the table but if something happens I’m going to talk with my wife and my family to see what is best for us.”