Town striker Kayden Jackson, whose current deal is due to expire at the end of this season, has revealed he has yet to enter talks with the club about a new contract.
Jackson, who cost £1.6 million from Accrington Stanley in August 2018 during Paul Hurst’s short spell as manager, was linked with a move to Bournemouth in September after they had been relegated from the top flight.
Town rejected two offers for the player, which some sources claimed to be as high as £2 million although TWTD understands the bids were nearer the £1 million mark, and Birmingham, Coventry and Peterborough were credited with an interest in attempting to lure him away from Portman Road, while Luton Town were also keeping tabs.
But the transfer window has come and gone, with the 26-year-old still a Town player, and after making his first start of the season in the controversial 2-1 defeat at promotion rivals Sunderland on Tuesday he is hoping for another opportunity to improve his fitness in tomorrow’s FA Cup first round tie at home to League One rivals Portsmouth.
Jackson said: "It is flattering as a player when you get interest from the league above and especially when it’s a team that have just come down after several years in the Premier League.
"It’s part and parcel of being a footballer — you get the interest and the bids are coming in — but at the end of the day if it doesn’t suit all parties it’s a non-starter really.
"So you can’t get too carried away with things like that until the clubs strike a deal.
"Ultimately, Ipswich chose to turn the offers down so I’m here as an Ipswich player and I’m looking to do my best for the club going forward and we’ll see where that takes me.
"With transfers a lot is reported in the media but until the club you’re at are pleased and happy to let you go it doesn’t go any further for the player.
"At the time I was doing my rehab so I was concentrating on getting fit and returning to playing. It was a frustrating nine months and the most important thing for me was to get back to playing again and then build up my fitness and sharpness to help the lads on match days.”
With Town having included an option clause in his present deal, they have an opportunity to trigger an automatic one-year extension to his stay at Portman Road and when asked if he was in talks about a new contract Jackson admitted: "I’ve had no contact from the club on that.
"I spoke to my agent in the summer and he was under the impression that the best thing for me was to concentrate on my rehab, get back to being fully fit, play games and then things would happen, whether that’s here or elsewhere.
"The main thing is that I’m an Ipswich player and I’m looking to get back my sharpness in the hope that I can help the team.”
Turning to Town’s preferred 4-3-3 shape, Jackson added: "I think I showed at Sunderland on Tuesday that I’m happy to play down the centre and help the lads.
"We probably played a more direct game last season and I was one of two strikers, which suited me, but I’m happy to adapt.
"If the gaffer puts me out there I will do my best for the team. I’m also sure I have the attributes to do well playing wide.”
After substitute appearances in the team’s 4-1 win at Blackpool and the 1-0 success at home to Crewe, boss Paul Lambert decided the time was right to unleash Jackson from the start against Sunderland and it wasn’t until the 76th minute that he eventually gave way for Oli Hawkins.
Jackson continued: "The body’s good and I’m ready to go again against Portsmouth if selected. I was actually pleasantly surprised at how I felt after the game on Tuesday, given it was my first competitive start for almost nine months.
"The body came through fine and I felt good, so hopefully I can build on that on Saturday and get some more minutes under my belt.
"As a footballer you want to be out there. It was the longest lay-off I’ve had in my career and it was very frustrating that I had to watch the lads for so long as a spectator.
"Obviously, even before that there was no football for so long. It’s not where you want to be as a player; you want to be out there, you want to be able to impact the game and you want to help your team-mates.”