Town remain the frontrunners for the signature of former Nottingham Forest skipper Luke Chambers, according to the Midlands media, despite a number of sources close to Town insisting that the deal broke down yesterday evening after lengthy talks at Portman Road. The out-of-contract 26-year-old returned home to the Nottingham area last night to consider his next step with Leeds United understood to be showing strong interest in the one-time Northampton man.

Reports in Nottingham this morning claim Chambers has been offered a three-year deal at Portman Road which would almost double his £8,000-a-week Forest wage, although that figure seems unlikely given Town’s oft-stated commitment to reducing outgoings with the Championship moving towards the Financial Fair Play break-even model.

After talks, a medical and the traditional tour of the stadium and training facilities yesterday, Chambers asked for time to mull over his decision, with Leeds, whose takeover is thought to be close to being completed, believed to have made a late approach for the Kettering-born centre-half.

Town are not officially commenting on progress on the deal, as is their usual policy, but the picture may become clearer later today.

Manager Paul Jewell is due back at Portman Road this afternoon ahead of the start of pre-season training on Thursday, by which time he will be hoping Chambers, one of his top summer targets, will have committed his future to the Blues.

Photo: Action Images

WeirdFishes added 12:22 - Jul 4 Alltogether now : "We all hate leeds!"
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BoredWithThisNow added 12:24 - Jul 4 What a bag of predictable sh!te at our farcically run club. Last one out turn the lights off.
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JimmyJazz added 12:26 - Jul 4 Freddie Sears couldn't even score in League 1 with Colchester
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RegencyBlue added 12:30 - Jul 4 There is something very wrong with how ITFC conduct transfer negotations these days and its name is Clegg! We never used to have such long drawn out sagas as we have now and more often than not we were successful in attracting our targets here. Now we have a chief executive who thinks its more important attending Olympic torch relays than bringing in a much needed player! Thank god the Olympics are nearly done and dusted. Hopefully once Clegg is no longer useful to Evans other business activities he will be shown the door!!

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buryblue77 added 12:33 - Jul 4 Apparently Clegg was there, which is probably why the reports are that the deal has fallen through. Remember Shaun Derry ''I was in the manager's office ready to sign but the deal couldn't be done'', why? And our dark lord himself who apparently said that had he met Clegg before he accepted the job he probably wouldn't have taken the job. I'm sorry but Clegg and Evans fill me with no confidence that this club can be taken forward with its current structure. PJ is not involved in transfer and contract negotiations so why would he be there? My impression is that something very wrong is happening in the upper management of this club and if it continues we will become the joke of the league. I hope I'm proved wrong.

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JimmyJazz added 12:38 - Jul 4 Clegg can only offer up to the amount that ME tells him to. There is something very wrong with how ITFC conduct transfer negotations these days and its name is Evans!
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Keaneish added 12:47 - Jul 4 Here's an idea, how abut you come out and comment on it and just spell it out like it is?
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norfolk_mighty_horse added 12:52 - Jul 4 P I L E O F P A P
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alfromcol added 12:54 - Jul 4 wait and see. If he doesn't want to sign so be it. Can't be allowed to blackmail the club for even more money just because we need a CH. Patience everyone. Stop blaming Clegg its not his fault if players don't accept, what is a very good offer. Don't forget they all have agents who play games to get more money for their client and themselves.
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raycrawfordswig added 12:56 - Jul 4 A lot of players going to get a warm reception at P.R. LOL
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Tractamatt added 12:56 - Jul 4 The problem at PR seems to be that there is no one,after a reasonable length of time,taking the situation by the scruff of the neck and saying sign or do one and then moving on to the next target.Players seem to get to much time to think and mull it over.Surely they either want to sign or they dont and if they dont then we are not losing out. I dought Loach would need time he seems to actually want to be here.

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cooper4england added 13:03 - Jul 4 I think Clegg should have chucked a couple of Rohypnol in Chambers evian. Forge his signature and let him sleep it off on the physio couch. Wake him up Thursday morning dressed in a ITFC tracksuit ready for preseason training. Tell him everyone went out to celebrate his signing and he had one too many. Worked for Clegg previously on both the Olympic select commitee and on ME, which explains a lot! Apparently they also tried it on Bullard but they ran out of pills trying to knock him out. However Jimmy did sign after describing it as one of the best nights he'd had in a long time!

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Karlosfandangal added 13:11 - Jul 4 All those who are blaming Clegg have got this wrong if Chambers has been offered £16,000 a week over 3 years thats a £2.5 million pound deal. Cant see that being the deal as Leadbitter was only being given a 2 year deal at £8000 big difference. Club captain for the next 6 or 7 years lets hope so
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Urchin added 13:15 - Jul 4 @buryblue : any chance of short posts from you?
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bedsitfc added 13:16 - Jul 4 to a pro footballer with no ipswich connections, we are just one of 24 championship teams that are making the right noises about getting into the premiership. he will need to think it over as its not just him that moves its the wife and kids too.
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buryblue77 added 13:22 - Jul 4 Urchin, well you see the problem is this. I find it a little difficult expressing myself and I really do end up typing too much, I can't help it, it just happens. Then I realise that'll I've gone on for so long that nobody reads my post as they get bored, but that doesn't stop me, oh no, I just keep typing.................................... Or I could have just said nope!

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WorcesterBlue added 13:24 - Jul 4 Agree with Keanish that a statement would be helpful if only to say we've offered him a deal and he's thinking it over. However, I cannot belive that PJ, Clegg and ME will make the same mistakes as before so hopefully some good news on the way on a variety of fronts - this secrecy may just mean they have a cunning plan and we have got our targets in the bag already? Then again, if not, then it really is time for Clegg and PJ to be given the push and ME to bring in someone who knows what they are doing.

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Keaneish added 13:24 - Jul 4 16k a week is a fallacy. End of. We're never offering anyone that at the moment. Sell the club, you get the player. It's as simple as that. Someone's not doing their job and it's the first time i've said this but it's Clegg... Pearce, Ward and now Chambers all gone for different reasons because we're not positioning ourselves or selling ourselves or offering what we need to, it's as simple as that. Those 3 players would have been a major, major step to putting us int he Prem this season... How much more of this rubbish are we prepared to take? All players we're relatively low transfer fees, with reputedly manageable wages given what they've signed for at respective clubs so what's the problem? Location or the hard sell. You won't generate season ticket sales with injured 17 year olds from Macclesfield...

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buryblue77 added 13:26 - Jul 4 I have to say Keanish, I'm somewhat sceptical about £16k a week, doesn't fit with our FFP business model.
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ian_marshall added 13:32 - Jul 4 “Chambers abysmal form last season ALMOST took us down to Division 3.! Hearing that the deal with the Tractor Boys has fallen down, and that he's on his way back to Nottingham. As far as i am concerned, this excuse for a player must NEVER pull on the famous Garibaldi shirt again, and i would suggest to SC to retain credibility with us fans, that he immediately strips him of the captaincy, advises him he has no future with the club, and puts him on the transfer list. !”

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GTRKing added 13:36 - Jul 4 Why is everyone Moaning For? We offered him a 3 years contract on £16.000 A week. He had a medical & looked round Portman Road & Training Ground & Had a Chat Ect. Now he has gone back to talk to the Wife & Kids & Will decided in a few days. It's not the end of the world if he don't Get Him. PJ has other targets &n PJ Wasn't there yesterday Same as Clegg. Look at Ross McCormack Same thing as Luke Chambers I think. He Rourmedly had a medical & Look round Palace Ground & had Chat ect but that fell Through & it didn't Happen. So we will get players but it early in the Transfer Window.

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Brazils_Hair added 13:37 - Jul 4 My knickers are in a right old twist!
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Taricco_Fan added 14:11 - Jul 4 Move on. If a player has to think about joining Ipswich Town then he's not worth it. We are still one of the biggest and best clubs in this division, regardless of the last few years. To be honest I think we should be looking abroad for players. Much cheaper, usually more talented and cultured, and the money (even in the Championship) is a big draw for these players. English players are often over-rated and under perform. A couple of Dutch lads would do just fine.

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scooterblue added 14:12 - Jul 4 i knew something wasn't going to happen straight away when i saw clegg on look east last night in peterboro. fingers crossed.
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BlueWiddow added 14:15 - Jul 4 Having lived in Notts for 4 years... A friend of Luke Chambers has just informed me he will sign for Town today!!!
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