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McKenna: Nothing Close But We Have Targets Across a Couple of Positions - Ipswich Town News

Blues boss Kieran McKenna says Town aren’t currently close on making the first signing of his time at Portman Road but that that doesn’t mean there won’t be players coming in before the end of the January window.

"We’re working a lot behind the scenes,” the Northern Irishman said. "We’ve been speaking a lot about players. We have lists in different positions.

"There’s not been anything yet we’ve felt imminently right for the group that we felt was going to improve the level of what we have here or add anything very different to the group. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be over the next couple of weeks.

"I wouldn’t say we’re close with anything but we have targets across a couple of positions that we feel that might be options for us and we’re in dialogue on those positions and, as I said, there are still a couple of weeks left of the window.

"We have the option and the possibility to bring some people in if we feel that that’s right but it has to be right. It has to be right for the long term for the club and also part of that, the long-term future of the club is very heavily linked to the short term and it has to be right for the short term, it has to be someone who is going to improve and impact the team in a positive way for the rest of the season, while still fitting into the long-term picture here.

"We’re speaking, we’re watching and looking at a lot of different options and when the right thing comes up that we’re really confident that it’s going to be an improvement on what we have here and then we’re ready to make the move on that.”

One player who is among those who has been spoken about is Manchester United left-sided defender Alvaro Fernandez.

While reports last week claiming the Blues had made a loan move for the 18-year-old Spanish U19 international were premature, we understand his potential recruitment has been discussed and is something which could happen before the window closes.

McKenna says he speaks frequently with CEO Mark Ashton regarding possible incoming additions.

"That’s pretty much the case with Mark anyway since I started the job and I see that being the same going forward,” he said.

"It’s very important not just in terms of recruitment but in terms of all aspects of the club that we have a really tight relationship, that are both joined-up in our thinking with things and if there’s anything that we need to discuss through then we do so.

"So that relationship has been good. Obviously, recruitment is a big part of that. It’s not just Mark and myself but [director of football operations] Gary Probert, [chief operation officer] Luke Werhun, the recruitment team here, [assistant manager] Martyn [Pert] and my other assistant coaches as well.

"Everybody having a say, everybody having a really good eye on what’s out there at the moment, what moves we might need to do and what players might end up having offers from here.

"So there is a lot of dialogue going on at the moment on a daily basis and we feel like we’re in a strong position, but we’re trying to stay active and stay alert and be ready should it be the right thing for us to make a move.”

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