Town keeper Cieran Slicker has joined League Two Barnet on a season-long loan.
The Scotland international has long been pencilled in for a move away from the Blues during the season ahead to gain first-team experience.
The 22-year-old has made only two senior cup starts and one brief sub appearance - the latter his only domestic game last season - for Town since joining from Manchester City in the summer of 2023, in addition to three cup games for Rochdale during a loan spell there in 2022/23.
The Manchester-born keeper made his full Scotland debut as a sub in a friendly against Iceland in June, a game which proved to be something of a baptism of fire. He qualifies for the Scots through his Glaswegian father.
Last month, manager Kieran McKenna explained his plans for Slicker after the Blau-Weiß Linz friendly, the keeper not having been with the squad in Austria.
"Cieran Slicker’s looking at options for loans,” he said. "So, all being well, with David [Button] coming in, the plan will be for him to go and get some first-team experience this year, which he’s definitely ready for, and get some games.”
https://x.com/BarnetFC/status/1953494044354531774
Barnet head coach Dean Brennan said: "Part of our recruitment policy this year was to have two players in every position and Slicks gives us that.
"Obviously, we’ve tracked and monitored him for a long time. We had the opportunity to do a deal this week and I felt it was a good time to do it – I felt it was the right thing for the group.
"I believe that he’ll upgrade that department and that’s how we raise the bar and keep pushing each other and how we upgrade our team.
"I feel Slicks will definitely do that. We just want him to come in and do what he’s good at.
"Ipswich have been very good to deal with and he’s with us for the season, so let’s see how he gets on.”
Coincidentally, Slicker could make his Barnet debut against Town's Carabao Cup opponents Bromley with the Bees at the Hayes Lane on Saturday.
The keeper, who joins former Town full-back Myles Kenlock and ex-striker Oli Hawkins at The Hive, is contracted to the Blues until the summer of 2027 having signed a new deal in September last year.