x

Town Closing in On Harrop Loan Signing - Ipswich Town News

TWTD understands that Town are closing in on the loan signing of midfielder or wideman Josh Harrop from Preston and the move could be completed today.

The 25-year-old, who prefers to play as a number 10, is due to travel to Suffolk today to finalise the formalities relating to the deal.

As reported on Thursday, Preston's recruitment of another midfielder, Ben Whiteman from Doncaster, has freed up Harrop to make the switch with discussions having continued since that deal was completed.

Stockport-born Harrop, who is understood to have been the player Stuart Taylor said Town hoped to sign before the Swindon match, joined Preston in June 2017 having come through the youth system at Manchester United, where he made one Premier League start for the Red Devils in a 2-0 home win over Crystal Palace on the final day of 2016/17 and scored the opening goal.

Harrop, who is 5ft 9in tall, has made 39 starts and 55 sub appearances for Preston, scoring 13 times.

However, this season Harrop has made four starts, one in the Championship, and four appearances from the bench, scoring once. He was left out of the 20-man squad which lost 2-0 at Bristol City at the weekend.

Capped three times by England’s U20s, Harrop signed a new contract at Deepdale which runs to 2023 in August.

At 25, Harrop counts as a senior player in terms of the salary cap with the club having a limit of 22 players aged over 21.

In addition to Harrop, the Blues are also eyeing Luke Thomas, who is looking to move to play more games having had limited opportunities at Barnsley.

Another player TWTD has learned Town were keen on is 18-year-old Manchester City winger Morgan Rogers, who opted to join Lincoln City on loan a fortnight ago.

What to read next:

Ipswich Town 0-1 Brentford - Highlights
Highlights of this afternoon’s 1-0 home defeat to Brentford.
Frank: Exactly as Difficult as I Expected
Brentford manager Thomas Frank admitted his side’s 1-0 victory over the Blues was as difficult as he had anticipated.
McKenna: VAR is Taking Away From the Game
Boss Kieran McKenna believes VAR “in its current guise” is “taking from the game as a spectacle”, the Blues’ 1-0 home defeat to Brentford having been repeatedly stopped for incidents which the Town manager believes were marginal decisions rather than clear and obvious errors.
Palmer: We Need to Sustain Pressure For Longer Periods
Town goalkeeper Alex Palmer feels sustaining a performance over 90 minutes is the Blues’ target following the 1-0 defeat to Brentford at Portman Road.
Ipswich Town 0-1 Brentford - Match Report
Kevin Schade’s 18th-minute goal saw Brentford to a 1-0 victory over the Blues at Portman Road. The German international headed home a controversial three-times-taken corner with the Blues ultimately worthy of a point, Omari Hutchinson coming closest with a late strike which visitors keeper Mark Flekken pushed onto a post.
Ipswich Town 0-1 Brentford - Player Ratings and Reports
If you saw the match, please give us your player ratings and a mini match report.
Ipswich Town 0-1 Brentford - Half-Time
Kevin Schade’s 18th-minute goal has given Brentford a 1-0 half-time lead over the Blues at Portman Road.
Thousands Honour Town Women at Cornhill Celebration
FAWNL Southern Premier Division champions Ipswich Town Women were honoured with a special ceremony on the Cornhill, receiving the acclaim of thousands of residents and Blues fans on a glorious morning in Ipswich.
Tuanzebe's Return Only Change as Blues Host Brentford
Town boss Kieran McKenna has made one change for this afternoon’s penultimate home game of the season with Axel Tuanzebe returning to the starting XI.
Ipswich Town v Brentford - Chatroom Open
Join us in the chatroom to discuss the game as it unfolds with hundreds of other Town fans.