Blues boss Paul Jewell has revealed that Aston Villa are yet to make an offer for Town left-back Aaron Cresswell but have made an enquiry regarding the 22-year-old. News of Villa’s interest broke on Tuesday night with claims that a £3.5 million offer had been lodged and a deal was close.

After last night’s game at Cambridge Jewell outlined the actual situation: “I’ll tell you exactly how I see it, I’ll tell you what I’ve told Cressy.

“[Town assistant manager] Chris [Hutchings] spoke to [Villa manager] Paul Lambert, a good pal of his, [on Tuesday] to ask him about a player who used to play for a club that he used to manage and he never mentioned Aaron Cresswell, which I found strange.

“The club, not through the manager, have had contact asking what Aaron’s situation is. The situation is this: we want to keep him at the football club, we don’t want to sell our best players. But every player, whoever that player is, has always got a price.

“We don’t want to sell," he continued. "We don’t encourage the sale of our players, but if someone comes in and makes an offer we can’t refuse [then they could be sold].

“I’ve told Cressy that we want to keep him at the club. He’s done great and until we have a bid there’s nothing to turn down really.

“There’s always interest in players from other clubs, but I just found it a bit strange that Paul spoke to Chris yesterday, he knows him well, and he never mentioned it. There’s something in it because their chief executive rang ours but other than that, nothing.”

Despite reports of offers and price tags, Jewell says the money side of a potential deal hasn’t been discussed: “I’ve seen there have been fees mentioned in the press, but nothing’s been mentioned.

“As far as I’m aware, the conversation was ‘What’s the situation with Aaron Cresswell?’ and the situation is as I just told you — we want him to be part of our team.

“But again if a club like Aston Villa comes [in with an offer] it has to be right for us. We don’t want to sell Cressy. We bought him, developed him and at the end of the day I’ve told him that.

“If we get an offer that we have to consider, then we’ll consider it, but we don’t encourage any offers.”

He says selling players such as Cresswell doesn’t fit into his plans: “We want to try and build for the future, that’s why we want to keep Cressy, but at the same time, any player in the world has their price. But we’re more interested in building if we possibly can.”

The Blues boss has no concerns regarding the effect the interest might have on the player: “I called him in today and had the conversation with him after training and told him the situation. I don’t expect him to have anything other than a 100% attitude and he won’t. He’s a top class lad.”

Meanwhile, Jewell says he’s heard nothing from Nottingham Forest regarding Damien Delaney and doesn’t expect to: “I haven’t heard from them because I don’t think there’s anything in it.

“The last person I spoke to [on Tuesday] afternoon was someone telling me that Danny Collins is going to Forest, so unless they want to play two left-sided centre-backs, I don’t know. I’ve had no contact with Forest.”

Photo: Action Images

ipswichboy123 added 10:57 - Jul 26 Dont sell him unless a Ridicoulous offer is made because we won't sign abyone worth that. Keep him pj.
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TownLad21 added 11:05 - Jul 26 really impressed with paul jewells approach this summer
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WickedBlue added 11:06 - Jul 26 I love how people infer the Wickham money wasn't spent on the club it went into Evans pocket. Really people? You're that dim? We've been operating in the red for years where do you think that money to cover it comes from?
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bluey123 added 11:08 - Jul 26 We have debts of over 72 M and still owe the tax man whos dim now
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fussysnake added 11:11 - Jul 26 PLEASE STAY CRESSY, WE LOVE YOU HERE, AND WERE GOING PLACES. VILLA AINT.
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bluey123 added 11:24 - Jul 26 fussysnake are you from another planet Div 1 is the only place we are going
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Brazils_Hair added 11:39 - Jul 26 I was so drunk last night that I was sick in the Taxi on the way home.
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Warkys_Tash added 11:44 - Jul 26 PJ: 'The situation is this: we want to keep him at the football club, we don't want to sell our best players. But every player, whoever that player is, has always got a price.' Same kind of line we were given before Wickham went. AS GOOD AS GONE. Watch this space.
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fussysnake added 11:54 - Jul 26 bluey123 - thats the spirit!
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Garv added 11:58 - Jul 26 Another season like the last and Cressy will be worth even more. And who is betting against that? Tell Villa to shove it.
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buresmac added 12:11 - Jul 26 Just wondered it its all just exaggerated by the media, (and we are getting different versions from the Mirror (who had it as a certainty he would have signed yesterday and SSN, who had Ward nailed on for Ipswich - so not the most reliable of sources,) seeing he could have gone to premiership with WBA last season, has just settled in Suffolk, does he even want to move?

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Tractamatt added 12:25 - Jul 26 Dare I ask what about the Friend link?
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BotesdaleBlue added 12:33 - Jul 26 I hope he stays, but Premiership money and contracts talk I'm afraid
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bobble added 13:20 - Jul 26 does this mean we can sell clegg ?
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AndyUK61873 added 13:37 - Jul 26 Similar comments to when Wickham was sold....another season and he will be worth more....lets see 1. We are assuming he plays at a high standard 2. We are assuming he does not get a serious injury It only takes 1 injury and that 3.5m is not on the table anymore. Everything is speculation and you have to make a decision based on what we know right now, if a bid is tabled, you can't look on the what if's for the player in the next season as you would never make a decision on buying or selling

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TractorBeezer added 13:52 - Jul 26 A change of subject but since Wickham's name keeps cropping up here, do you know, Phil if there is still any substance about the possibility of him coming back on loan for a season?
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Michael11 added 17:24 - Jul 26 Apparently Friend is only going to be signing as a replacement for Cresswell unfortunately, why not just have both?! http://www.greenun24.co.uk/ipswich-town/transfer_latest_george_friend_deal_depen
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Tractorcookie added 18:15 - Jul 26 Let's keep him please!!!!! Hopefully he will realise that we want to keep him, he is a key player and that he won't get first team football @ Villa. Let's get him AND Friend and another striker and then we'll be cookiing on gas as they say!
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Langdon_Blue added 18:22 - Jul 26 Jewell cant say anything other than that to be fair. No Manager would say he is not for sale at any cost, because it's simply not true. Every player has a price, no matter who it is. I think the transfers have gone well this Summer and hope for a couple more additions by Mid-August. Plus Chops and Jimmy sound like they are ready ready to push on this season. Even those who love to see the worst in Ipswich must be begrudging admitting that the dark days of Keane might finally be behind us.

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Talbs77 added 19:47 - Jul 26 Hope he stays as he's such a quality little player with a sweet left foot but lets face it, a left back is replaceable whereas a top striker for instance and if we get good money then I think we should cash in, especially if we can a get a few more players with the money.
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TimmyH added 19:51 - Jul 26 Unfortunately I can see him going and sadly that's how the smaller fish get eaten up by the bigger one's! - not sure how we can build a team over a couple of seasons if this is going to happen (if it happens), as mentioned will ME put all the money back in to re-building? I doubt it, where did Wickham's 8 mill go?
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Talbs77 added 19:55 - Jul 26 Fair point TimmyH but dont forget the clubs is running at a loss. Looking back Conner should have stayed a couple more years as he's struggling at Sunderland. At the end of day £3M+ for a left back we bought for what £500K (admit might be wrong on that) is good business.
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TimmyH added 20:04 - Jul 26 @Talbs - yeah good business but does little to raise the spirit of the fans, Wickham was even better business. Perhaps in a few years time we can win by default where all the other teams in the Championship go into receivership and are docked points (even that won't happen due to the parachute payments from the teams coming down) but we'll be getting closer.
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Talbs77 added 20:11 - Jul 26 TimmyH, keep the faith son, I have a feeling in my bones we will have a good season (when I mean good season I think we will at least be in contention past Xmas as opposed to last 3 years). And remember, we sold Kieron to help strenghten the squad that eventually went up. Sometimes moving players on for the right price can help a team develop, as long as pj gets the money that is. Saying that, I think Cresswell is a very good player and would hate to see the lad leave after just a year.

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oscarwhiting added 20:59 - Jul 26 jewell i have to say u r being a legend at the moment.coyb
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