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Cook: Recruitment Has Been of a Very High Standard - Ipswich Town News

Boss Paul Cook believes the Blues’ recruitment over the summer has been of a very high standard.

Town have made 18 senior additions to the squad with the club’s lengthy pursuit of Bersant Celina finally coming to a successful conclusion this morning.

"We feel that the recruitment of players over the summer has been of a very high standard," Cook told the club site.

"We want competition for places all over the pitch. We feel it is so important for a competitive squad.

"The transfer window closes tonight and if we are finished now, we’ll be delighted with what we’ve got.”

Town are understood to remain interested in Middlesbrough midfielder Sam Morsy ahead of this evening's 11pm transfer deadline but with sources on Teesside having suggested the move is unlikely with the Egyptian, Cook's captain at Chesterfield and Wigan, happy with Boro, while Championship clubs including Preston, Sheffield United and Luton also believed to be keen.

The Blues boss says the focus will now be on developing the new players into a team with Town without a game until a week on Saturday - Bolton's visit to Portman Road - as next weekend’s match at Wycombe postponed due to Chairboys international calls.

"When the window shuts, that’ll be us done and we can concentrate on getting the team to function as a football team,” he added. "At the minute, we’re just in the early stages of forming that.

"This couple of weeks is going to be a really good time for us to get the injured players back and get a couple of weeks of strong training in.”

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