Town are set to offer a short-term deal to former Wolves striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, according to reports this morning. The 27-year-old, constantly linked with the Blues since his former boss Mick McCarthy took over at Portman Road, is a free agent having left Wolves at the end of last season.

The former Manchester United and Plymouth frontman is close to a return to fitness having suffered a broken leg and ankle ligament damage during Wolves’ 3-2 victory at Birmingham in April.

Town are said to be ready to offer the Cambridge-born striker a contract until January, presumably to give him time to prove his fitness.

Speaking about Ebanks-Blake in June, McCarthy said he expected him to join a Premier League club: “Sylvan I bought from Plymouth and he was fantastic, but I think he might have offers from the Premier League on a free transfer. He ought to have, to be honest.”

Ebanks-Blake’s former Plymouth manager Ian Holloway is believed to have been interested in taking him to Crystal Palace, but with Premier League clubs having recently named their 25-man squads for the first half of the season, the striker would now not be able to play for a top flight side until January.

The 5ft 8in tall former England U21 international was Wolves’ top scorer with 15 goals last season and in total netted 64 goals in 133 starts and 60 sub appearances while at Molineux — top scoring in the Championship twice - having been signed from the Pilgrims for £1.5 million in January 2008.

Photo: Action Images

ipswich134 added 15:10 - Sep 25 There is little harm in signing him. Who knows he might just turn out to be the Marcus Stewart we had had been waiting for. If we are in the play offs in Jan he might just stay. He probably would believe in MM and TC having tasted sucess with them.
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Bluetone added 15:18 - Sep 25 Offer him a contract until January and then the club having the option to extend the contract for a further 12 - 24 months.
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Hegansheroes added 15:25 - Sep 25 If Ebanks-Blake did come until January how would he fit into the side, MM cannot drop McGoldrick so who would make way, it has to be Murphy so the way the team plays under MM would be changed completely. No target man, hopefully no long ball game. I can't see it working because MM knows no other way of playing. I am also concerned that MM relies on his ex players from Wolves , Sunderland etc. who really aren't that great. Hunt must have a very inflated idea of his own ability if he is demanding more than £10k per week. We are going no where under MM, he did what was required last season, now please get the job with Ireland.

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Guthrum added 15:25 - Sep 25 If he's only here for three months but in that time scores enough goals to boost us up to the fringes of the play-offs, will that have been worth it? I think so!
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Keaneish added 16:06 - Sep 25 Hegansheroes - we're far and away from being a long ball team. Simply because we utilise Murphy for flick ons now and then, it doesn't make us a long ball side. Hyam and Skuse are consistently building from the back... In fact, we retain possession for so much now, fans are getting frustrated if it doesn't result in a shot!!! MM can't win can he!?
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Gcon added 16:41 - Sep 25 When I saw the links with SEB and Hunt I thought maybe MM had drawn a line under the Ireland role. Slightly unnerving to see the odds today though. For the last week or so he has been hovering between 7-1 & 10-1 for the job. Yesterday he drifted out to 12-1 whilst Noel King's odds got a lot shorter. Today though NK and Martin O'Neill have drifted and MM is suddenly as short as 2-1 for the job with Stan James and 7-2 with Paddy Power.

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JWM added 16:42 - Sep 25 Nice one Hegans.... So who would come here if MM did leave?
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ArnieMsBigToe added 16:44 - Sep 25 Hunt No Way. . . but, E Banks Blake would be ideal. We were all impressed with DJ Campbell. EBB is the perfect replacement. A goal poacher. Just what we need. Murphy has to have 2 or 3 goes before the ball is in the net. Mucho Yesiarse!!
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jas0999 added 17:48 - Sep 25 We need a goal-scorer, but it will surely take time before he can play competitive football? It's one thing being fit - quite another being match fit. Still, good player and would certainly enhance the squad.
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manualthetisfanclub added 18:04 - Sep 25 Never going to happen!
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Dissboyitfc added 18:57 - Sep 25 i know we are desperate for goals, but cant see the real advantage in this. We have a 5'8 striker at the club already who is coming back from injury and we paid good money for him, he is our asset. SEB is only here to get fit so if he plays instead of taylor and keeps taylor out of the side where are we come january when SEB moves on? i think we know as this happened when DJ left. No thanks stick with Taylor and get him fit, too many unknown answers here for me to be positive. COYB

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ntoms97 added 19:49 - Sep 25 Full transfer for me I feel that is definitely where we are lacking and he fits the bill McGoldrick and him up front for the game against Brighton please!!
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TimmyH added 20:31 - Sep 25 and a yes from me...would defo boost our front line!
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nitroblue1970 added 21:37 - Sep 25 who cares how tall he is? he scores goals! in the past we have had David Johnson (2nd one) kiwomya, Stewart, mathie...all scored goals for us at this level....IMO would be just what we need.
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stevelincsexile added 22:10 - Sep 25 I can see some short term benefits but no long term gains unless we tie him to season long contract if not stick with what we have and have some faith in Taylor and Marriott.
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Warkys_Tash added 23:00 - Sep 25 Pace & goals - two things we don't have. Sign him up! As for lack of height, how tall do people think McGoldrick is? He has to be 6ft 1 minimum & wins plenty of headers & holds up the ball, so what is the problem? People forget we haven't got a pot, it would be a decent signing for us.
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ormey75 added 00:38 - Sep 26 About bloody time, Hunt aswell please, we need both of them badly, these 2 are better than the Garbage we signed during the summer, Anderson and Murpy thanks but no thanks
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Dissboyitfc added 06:27 - Sep 26 warkys_tash... for all mcgoldrics undoubted ability, and i do rate him highly as a player! But for you to say he wins his share of headers is laughable, the guys arial ability is poor to say the least. For all those who mark this comment down i urge you to watch and study mcgoldricks ariel game next time you are at portman road ( bet some mark this down and they haven't even seen him play ) . Under MM and the football we will play, you need at least one target man, someone who carries an ariel threat, someone just mentioned a whole list of short strikers from towns past, players like mathie and yes he scored goals but played alongside marshall, get my point !

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budgieplucker added 06:49 - Sep 26 if the budget allows this and we are not paying silly money to get him fit then this is a no brainer to me. Adds competiton to a strike force that looks impotent (Nouble + an inconsistent Murphy) if it works then strike a competitive deal in january. Palace are likely to be well adrift by then so it doesnt make the decision a forgone conclusion that he will drop us. Does Billy Sharp hold a high stock value at premiership level? I think the answer to that is no despite having a great record at Championship level. I see EBB in a similiar mould , I don;t see many Premiership clubs clamoring for his signature in January and those that might be interested will only likely to take him to sit on the bench. As far as Marriot is concerned the first step is to get him out on a decent loan to sharpen him up - then bring him back in january if he is really doing well.

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