Blackburn Rovers midfielder Keith Andrews will complete his loan move to Town tomorrow in time to make his debut against his former club Hull City on Saturday. TWTD understands that the 30-year-old Irishman’s recruitment is set to trigger skipper Grant Leadbitter’s departure to Portsmouth.

Andrews trained with the Blues today after Rovers granted permission, with the outstanding paperwork due to be finalised in the morning.

Town have been trying to conclude Andrews’s signing on an initial six-month loan for more than a week with Blackburn having been uncommunicative in the days prior to last week’s opening game of the season at Bristol City.

Rovers manager Steve Kean says Andrews’s move to Portman Road could ultimately become a permanent switch: “Keith will go on a loan basis to Ipswich start to with, it is a loan with a view to purchasing him. I think Keith will do well, they've obviously had a very good start.”

We understand the addition of a further central midfielder will see Grant Leadbitter move on to Portsmouth.

The 25-year-old was linked with Birmingham City earlier in the summer but that deal fell through after the change of manager at St Andrew’s.

The former England U21 international, who was mentioned in connection with a possible £2 million move to Wigan in January when he was also linked with West Ham and Wolves, is now set to be reunited with his former Blues team-mate David Norris at Fratton Park.

Leadbitter joined Town from Sunderland for £2.6 million in September 2009 with his contract up next June.

Photo: Action Images

KenDubZ added 09:12 - Aug 12 Paul Jewell your making a big mistake!! This is what Roy done so please leave leadbitter here and that will be just great as we allready lost NORRIS!!!!
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heady added 09:21 - Aug 12 Some of you lot are clueless.. Leadbitter is a very good midfielder at this level who was playing in an awful team last year. Really thought him and bowyer would form a good partnership.
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nitroblue added 09:22 - Aug 12 So is their a fee involved, i thought Pompey were skint!....no big loss really as Drury is just as good at passing the ball sideways and backwards!
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jas0999 added 09:30 - Aug 12 Will be disappointed if Leadbitter leaves - as it only leaves Drury and Healy as CM back-up. Neither are good enough
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ITFC4daprem added 09:38 - Aug 12 would like him to stay excellent signing
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bobble added 09:46 - Aug 12 grant who ?
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sonian_blue added 12:07 - Aug 12 Bad move
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Ipswich24 added 12:31 - Aug 12 If Leadbitter goes we have to go for Bullard or Jonjo Shelvey
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blue_em_away added 13:15 - Aug 12 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ bullard NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
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TractorRoyNo1 added 16:54 - Aug 12 sell a young man with potential for half what we paid for him and get in a a 30 year old who has never done anything and who will also be on higher wages - amazing bit of business
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tractorboy2434 added 08:01 - Aug 13 We paid a decent fee for him so I cannot understand how we are going to let him go for less that we paid, that is crazy, would want at least 2-2.5M for a player of his age, anybody else certainly would if we were buying, unless Jewell has somone in mind this is going to weaken the squad further, it appears to me that Jewell's brief is to get rid of those on decent money and balance the books.

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