Trialist Ibrahima Sonko is understood to be close to joining the Blues on a one-year deal having impressed in yesterday's behind-closed-doors reserves friendly against Colchester. TWTD was first to reveal that the 30-year-old Senegalese international was on trial at Portman Road.

The former Reading and Stoke man is set to become Town's ninth signing of the summer today or probably tomorrow and would appear certain to make his debut in Saturday's home game against Leeds.

Tweeting yesterday, Sonko felt he had put in a decent performance against the U's: “Game went well. Now I do not know what's going to happen, we can just wait and cross fingers that everyone [is] happy like I am.”

It was another of Sonko's tweets a fortnight ago which first revealed the possibility of him moving to Town: "It looks like I could meet with my friend Ívar [Ingimarsson] again soon instead [of rejoining Reading].”

Born in Bignona, Senegal but having moved to France as a baby, Sonko began his career with Town’s old UEFA Cup foes St Etienne, moving on to Grenoble, where he made his first senior appearances, in 1999.

Three years later he joined Brentford, the 6ft 3in tall defender spending two seasons at Griffin Park before joining Reading on a Bosman in 2004.

Capped four times by Senegal, scoring one goal, Sonko, whose cousin is Arsenal's Bacary Sagna, became a cult hero at the Madejski Stadium and acquired the nickname ‘Superman’ for his exceptional leaping ability as he helped Steve Coppell’s side into the Premier League.

Stoke paid an initial £2 million for his services in August 2008 but his time at the Britannia Stadium was less successful. Loans at Hull City and Portsmouth followed, before he was released at the end of last season.

Sonko rejoined Reading on trial this summer and played in a number of pre-season games but talks broke down, with his old club only willing to offer a deal which equated to a 90% pay cut with the player only willing to take a drop of 75%.

Photo: Action Images

come_on_blues added 18:08 - Aug 24 He cant be no worse that we have have, so let give him a chance to see what he can do. He could be with ivor as they played together before, plus you never know we could sigh the other trialist we have intime for sat
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Drewy07 added 18:09 - Aug 24 Can't be that bad our calibre of defence surely gives him half a chance.
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ramseyn added 18:12 - Aug 24 Actually, this summer's weather has been awful, thinking about it, it's ever since jewell arrived........ Come on jump on this bandwagon... Bloody Gaddafi will be on here next, blaming jewell for his downfall. Fickle, fickle, fickle.
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StowTractorBoy added 18:13 - Aug 24 Can't see that we have anything to lose with Sonko. If Ingi can get himself fit they could form a great partnership again. Delaney and Sonko does not fill me with confidence but as others have said it can only get better. Gorkks would have been perfect for us but hey ho we just have to get on with it.
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Tillz9 added 18:15 - Aug 24 MASSIVE TWTD SHOCKER - jas and h32 don't agree with a signing !! :-)
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fifeblue added 18:17 - Aug 24 James Scowcroft, anyone? He's available.
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WickedBlue added 18:19 - Aug 24 Remember how relegated Sheffield Wednesday fans all laughed at us because we bought this rubbish striker from them. They said he was a joke, couldn't score in a brothel and that we were such mugs for buying him. I thought Kuqi did quite well here myself. That shows you how much I care what other supporters of other teams think. I'll let Sonko make up my mind for me.

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bigdan added 18:38 - Aug 24 Falling attendances are not Jewell's fault. I'm not going on Saturday because if I take my wife there, that's £58 just to get in for "entertainment" of a dubious quality. I can find far more entertaining things to do with the money and that breaks my heart. It was £1.60 for adults and 80p for kids the year I first went. We had a pretty tasty team too. It's the prices that are killing attendances and their relentless rise while the footie on offer declines in quality. I wish Sonko all the best - at least he wants to be here - or he will until the cretins boo him off at half-time.

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WorcesterTractor added 19:19 - Aug 24 Sky sports reporting Jimmy Bullard to have medical tomorrow
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TractorBeezer added 19:24 - Aug 24 http://www.skysports.com/story/0,,11707_7122199,00.html Good catch Worcester Tractor. Hope its true.
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steed added 19:30 - Aug 24 bullard signs for itfc just on sky news
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bigfatjoe2 added 21:23 - Aug 24 for all u worrying about sonko getting clubs relegated, anyone remeber herman he got relegated with other clubs before us and he wasnt to bad was he, put it this way it cant be worse than what we had for the last match.
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ITFC_Singapore added 21:53 - Aug 24 Ok. I've held off on commenting on this story since it broke a couple of weeks back as desperately didn't want to be negative. However..............as someone who lived in Reading for 4 years and saw an awful (Apt word) lot of Sonko, and with a wife and father in law who are Reading fans, i have to say that this is not good news. The bloke is useless. Big, yes, strong, yes. Talent / ability ? Very little. We already have one big lump of wood at the back in Delaney (On that note, just how did people talk him up so much last year ???) and this would be another. If it was just about being big and strong then we could just stick with Delaney and re-sign Manu Thetis ! I am not surprised to hear what the Stoke fans are saying as, from what i have seen, truly awful. The 'better than what we have argument' has a little something to it, but if we are setting our sights at 90% useless is better than 95% useless then we are in all sorts of trouble. If its a year contract and he will be back up to Ingimarsson (If ever fit) and hopefully the signing of a front line centre back then fine. I'll take him, Delaney and Smith as back up, but if anyone is thinking this is great news as we are getting a decent centre back........i don't think so.

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NastyPasty added 22:16 - Aug 24 Welcome 2 ITFC Mr Sonko... There's a lot of peeps on here that need 2 give u a break..... At least u want 2 play for us, which is more than u can say for some of the team :( ... Really lookin forward 2u n Ingi (If ever he gets fit again) commanding the defence. As far as i'm concerned, everybody deserves a chance... COYB ... And what with the news that Jimmy B is goin through a medical (Legend already) ... Just the player we need 2 feed da Chops... Things are lookin up :))

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TractorBeezer added 00:43 - Aug 25 ITF Singapore The following is a Wiki extract from Ingy's profile. What is your view on their partnership in the Prem? Were thay not an effective partnership as suggested in the article? At Reading, he held a key place in the first team playing alongside Ibrahima Sonko. Together they formed one of the best defenses in the English Football League.
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TractorBeezer added 00:44 - Aug 25 ITF Singapore The following is a Wiki extract from Ingy's profile. What is your view on their partnership in the Prem? Were thay not an effective partnership as suggested in the article? At Reading, he held a key place in the first team playing alongside Ibrahima Sonko. Together they formed one of the best defenses in the English Football League.
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ITFC_Singapore added 15:11 - Aug 25 Beezer Well Wiki comments are just the thoughts of one person like you or me, and this is clearly just an opinion. That said, there is something in that. They did do quite well together, though that was (In my opinion) more due to the classy Ingy than Sonko. This was also a few years back of course and it appears that Ingy at least (And maybe Sonko) are feeling the effects of aging a few years. I would still not want this to be our first choice pairing and am realy hoping we can sign a top championship centre back (So we don't have to play Delaney full time either !), but to come in and cover injuries etc., then Sonko will do.

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TractorBeezer added 15:29 - Aug 25 Thanks Singapore...that helps. Sounds a bit like a Delaney who needs a strong partner to be effective. Looks like PJ still has another CB on his shopping list as well.
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