Town have confirmed the signing of winger Mustapha Carayol on a deal to the end of the season. TWTD was first to break the news that the 29-year-old was set to leave Forest to join the Blues on a free transfer earlier this afternoon.
Carayol’s Forest contract, which was up at the end of the season, was cancelled by mutual consent this afternoon and he joins the Blues in much the same way as Stephen Gleeson earlier in the month, Town taking on the remaining months of his City Ground deal.
"The gaffer showed interest in me before I signed for Forest so as soon as I knew Ipswich were keen on me it was an easy decision,” Carayol, who will wear the number 32 shirt, told iFollow Ipswich.
"I know a lot about Ipswich. I have played against the team a few times and know a lot of the players here. I saw Cole Skuse in Dubai a couple of years ago and he was trying to convince me to sign!
"I spoke to Frank Nouble a few hours back and he said ‘Just go there. You’ll enjoy it’. Frank is a good friend of mine so I couldn’t have got any better advice really.
Agent noubz il send my bank details @Official_ITFC when you decide to re follow me 👀😂 ...got a player on your hands ðŸ‘🿖 Frank.Nouble (@FrankNouble) January 31, 2018
"Forest was probably the most frustrating time of my career so I’ve come here to play games and I’ll work as hard as I can. I want to make a big impact here and help the team.
"I’m here until the end of the season. That is my focus for now but hopefully I can impress the gaffer and the fans and I can show the gaffer I’m worth keeping beyond the summer.”
Carayol, the first Gambia international to represent the Blues, was a youth player with Swindon and Macclesfield before breaking into senior football with the MK Dons.
He spent time on loan with Crawley before joining Torquay on a permanent basis prior to a loan stint with Kettering.
🎥 | We caught up with Mustapha Carayol after the midfielder signed up at Portman Road on a deal until the end of the season
#itfc ðŸ”µâšªï¸ pic.twitter.com/UQpRlyg0jj– Ipswich Town FC (@Official_ITFC) January 31, 2018
Lincoln was his next port of call before he moved on to Bristol Rovers where he really made his name, securing a move to Middlesbrough in the summer of 2012.
He scored his first league goal on his Championship debut for the Teessiders in their 2-0 victory over the Blues at the Riverside in August 2012.
Having had spells out on loan at Brighton, Huddersfield and Leeds, the 5ft 11in tall pacy wideman joined Forest after leaving Boro - then managed by current Tricky Trees boss Aitor Karanka - by mutual consent in August 2016, signing a two-year deal.
While at the City Ground, Carayol made only 17 starts and 21 sub appearances, scoring three goals.
However, he remained in their first team squad and started Saturday's 2-1 FA Cup defeat at Hull before being replaced at half-time.
Carayol’s signing marks the last of Town’s January business with deadline day seeing no high profile exits.
While there was some interest in David McGoldrick from a Championship club understood to be Bolton Wanderers, who were briefly odds-on to sign him with one bookie this evening, the striker will remain at Portman Road for the final months of his contract.
Reports of renewed Crystal Palace interest in Bartosz Bialkowski were purely speculative.