Midfielder Flynn Downes says he’s heard “little bits and bobs” regarding other clubs’ interest in him but is focusing on his football ahead of a 2020/21 season in which he believes the Blues will be realistic contenders for a top-two place.
In July, TWTD revealed that Crystal Palace were keen on the 21-year-old with sporting director Dougie Freedman having been at Town’s game at Blackpool at the end of February as the Selhurst Park club continued an ongoing watching brief.
We understand they made Town an offer in January which was rebuffed with Palace's valuation well short of the Blues', while owner Marcus Evans has no plans to sell any of the club's prized assets this summer.
West Ham, who Downes supports and who he faced in a friendly at Portman Road on Tuesday, have also made their interest known to Town, while Fulham are among the other clubs to have been keeping tabs on the Brentwood-born schemer, who TWTD readers voted their 2019/20 Town Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year. Reports of interest from Arsenal are understood to be wide of the mark.
Asked whether he would still be at Ipswich for the 2020/21 season, Downes, speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk (15 mins, four seconds), said: "Hopefully, obviously we’ll see. You can never say for sure, but hopefully I will be.”
Is he aware of any interest? "I’ve heard little bits and bobs but I’m just focusing on the football, that’s all I can say really, I’m focusing on the football and everything else will be taken care of. That’s sort of it.”
Reflecting on the two friendlies against Premier League opposition over the last week, the 3-0 loss at Tottenham and the 4-1 defeat to West Ham, he said: "I think they’ve both been really good. We’re playing against Premier League teams, the best of the best, but I think we’ve definitely held our own, played some good football, a lot of positives. Obviously things to work on but overall I think we’ve done well.
"It’s an unbelievable experience [playing against likes of Harry Winks, Dele Alli, Tomas Soucek and Jack Wilshire]. Tottenham were in the Champions League final, so you’re literally playing against the best of the best.
"There’s a lot to learn from it, you see little things they do and you take things from their game. Like I said, we held our own against them, so it’s a big confidence boost.”
What did he learn from those games? "Just movement, especially in the Tottenham game where I didn’t play the first half so was keeping a close eye on Winks.
"I suppose his movement, his rotation, just little things like that. They make a big difference, I’ve definitely been looking at that and in the West Ham game, me Doz [Andre Dozzell] and Bish [Teddy Bishop] we sort of tried to imitate that and it did work at points.”
That midfield trio, all academy products, excited fans and did well in the first half against their more illustrious opponents and Downes believes they’re capable of starting together once the season proper gets under way.
"One hundred per cent, " he insisted. "You look at Tuesday’s game, playing agains Soucek and Wilshere and, I’m sorry, in the first half we were better than them, and I think that says it all really.”
But he knows manager Paul Lambert has decisions to make when it comes to selecting his engine room.
"Obviously we’ve got a lot of options in midfield, we’ve got a strong midfield,” he reflected. "I suppose it keeps all the players playing better because if we don’t play well someone else will come in and they’ll take their chance.
"It’s good competition for us, I feel sorry for the gaffer because he’s got to pick the team. We’ve all just got to keep doing well. Everyone wants each other to do well so I think that breeds a winning team.”
Looking at his own game, Downes says he sees himself as a midfielder who gets up and down the pitch - it was notable in the game at Colchester he got into the penalty area more often than has been the case in the past - rather than a holding player.
"I think I’d like to be the box-to-box man,” he said. "I think one of my strengths is my engine. I like to get up and down. I’d prefer that but I’d play either really, whatever helps the team I’ll do.”
More than anything, Downes is just happy to be back playing again after football’s suspension due to the coronavirus crisis.
"It’s lovely,” he said. "It’s been five months, so it’s nice to get back out there and get back to normality. Obviously just want to keep playing the games, get the legs back and go from there.”
He admits there has been some rustiness: "A little bit. I suppose the main thing is just fitness, that’s what it comes down to, and just playing games you’re going to get that. The more we play the better we’ll get.”
And he says it’s strange playing games without fans: "It is a weird one, I suppose the boys have got to get used to it because I don’t know when fans will be allowed back in.
"It is a bit weird. I suppose it’s not the norm and it’s going to take some getting used to but we’ve just got to focus on the football.”
In terms of Town’s aim for the campaign ahead, the England U20 international is in no doubt that the Blues should be challenging for the top two, despite last season's disappointing 11th-place finish.
"One hundred per cent,” he said. "Look at the size of the club, the squad we’ve got - how could we not be aiming for that?
"In my opinion, when I hear in League One it’s Ipswich versus Shrewsbury or whoever, I just can’t see us losing. I think when we go into the games with that confidence, hopefully this year will be a lot better year than last year.”