O'Neill: We're Looking to Add in January But Salary Cap Restricts Us - Ipswich Town News

Town general manager of football operations Lee O’Neill says the Blues are looking to add to their squad during the January transfer window but admits their efforts will be hampered by the League One salary cap.

Under the cap, which was introduced in August, clubs are restricted to a squad of 22 senior players aged over 21 with a wage ceiling of £2.5 million, although with salaries agreed prior to its introduction treated as a maximum of £113,000 a year.

Town are already at those limits following their summer business, which means there would have to be departures before more senior squad members can be added.

Players aged below 21 at the start of 2020 don’t count towards the salary cap.

"We are speaking to clubs about players at the moment and we are hopeful that we will be able to add one or two new faces to the squad this month,” O’Neill told the club site.

"We are restricted in what we can do because we are at the limit in terms of the salary cap.

"Bringing in young players on loan is one avenue and that is something we are looking at. There will have to be a degree of juggling if we want to add someone over 21 but that is also an option we are exploring.

"We also have to be aware that we have got a number of players coming back from injury as well so it’s about getting the balance right but we are certainly working on adding to the squad.”

Yesterday, Town recalled midfielder Idris El Mizouni from his loan spell at Cambridge United.

O’Neill is still feeling the effects of Covid-19 having tested positive before Christmas along with manager Paul Lambert and a number of players.

Elsewhere, former Blues winger Gary Roberts has rejoined Accrington Stanley from from Welsh side Bala Town.

Roberts, now 36, left Stanley to join Town initially on loan in October 2006. He went on to make 45 starts and 14 sub appearances, scoring four times, before moving on to Huddersfield in July 2008.

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