Town have confirmed the signing of Shrewsbury pair Jon Nolan and Toto Nsiala for a combined fee of approaching £2 million. Both players have signed three-year deals with the club having an option for a further season.
Shrewsbury boss John Askey, who took over from Paul Hurst after he left the Shrews at the end of last season, says his club didn't want them to move on but that they were left with no alternative but to allow them to move after they handed in transfer requests, Town's initial offer having been rejected.
"I’m disappointed really. It is a shame that they had to go but we didn’t have any choice," he told Shrewsweb.
"When you have got two players who want to go elsewhere then as long as the money is right there isn’t a lot we can do.
"I would have liked to have them in the team, they’re good players at this level and you don’t want to lose your best players.
"Even though they weren’t maxed out [in pre-season] you could still see their quality that both of them have got and you don’t want to lose that but as football is now, there isn’t a lot you can do.”
He added: "I have sympathy with them because going into the Championship football can change their lives.
"You still have to do things right and from that point of view and maybe they could have done but it’s difficult when something is playing on your mind.
"I think it’s a good deal for the club and the main thing is to replace them. That’s what we are trying to do and it is difficult. It's going to be tough but I’m sure we can do it.”
Shrewsbury chief executive officer Brian Caldwell is pleased the deal has been completed.
"I think we all wanted it done and I am pleased they met our valuation eventually," he said.
"It has been rumbling on, it wasn’t a great week last week with the transfer requests but that wasn’t going to change my mind on the valuations of the players.
"They have met our valuation with add-ons on top of that, on games played and sell-on fees as well.
"Over the weekend we came to an agreement with Ipswich, on the Sunday. They met our valuation but yesterday we were arguing over the sell-on percentages, which we have achieved as well.
"I’m glad we stood firm. As I said from day one we didn’t need to sell and we didn’t need the money but I think from everybody’s point of view we need to move on."
He continued: "Jon Nolan had two years left on his contract and Toto had one. I believe what we have done is the right thing for the football club. I’m glad we were strong with it and really stuck to our guns.
"Even when the players put in transfer requests, that actually helped me because it allowed me to then go public and explain what the situation was and just be open and honest.
"I’ll always try to do that with the fans because the fans deserve that. To come to a conclusion I was hoping it would come to a conclusion within 48 hours and it has done so I am delighted with that.”
A Town move for central defender Nsiala, who will wear the number 22 shirt, and midfielder Nolan, who has been handed 11, had been widely anticipated since Hurst took over at Portman Road with both key players in his Shrewsbury team which reached the League One play-offs last season.
The duo, who are both 26, were initially recruited by Hurst during his time as Grimsby manager from elsewhere in non-league, having previously been with the Everton academy.
Following his spell at Everton, Huyton-born Nolan spent time with Stockport County, Lincoln City and Wrexham (loan) before joining Hurst's Grimsby in January 2016 prior to moving on to Chesterfield that summer. A year later Hurst took him to Shrewsbury. Nolan scored nine times in 55 starts for the Shrews last season.
Nsiala, a DR Congo international born in Kinshasa, spent time on loan at Macclesfield and Accrington while with Everton before a spell with TDCS Dong Thap in Vietnam.
After returning to the UK, Nsiala, who was brought up in Liverpool from the age of 10 after a period living in Paris, joined Southport before playing for Hurst at Grimsby between 2014 and 2016.
After half a season at Hartlepool - who will receive just short of £100,000 from a sell-on following his move to the Blues - the defender was reunited with his old boss at Shrewsbury in January 2017.
Nsiala made 79 starts for the Shrews in his year and a half at the club, scoring four goals.