While the final day of the transfer window has passed quietly at Portman Road, TWTD understands that the Blues are close to completing the signing of former Shelbourne winger Dylan Connolly.

We understand that Town are waiting for paperwork relating to the deal to be rubber-stamped with the move expected to be confirmed tomorrow.

Connolly joining the Blues comes as little surprise with his former club Shelbourne having tweeted - and then later deleted - a message wishing him well with Town on Friday: “Best of luck to [Dylan Connolly]. Hope everything goes well for you [at Ipswich Town].”

Subsequently quizzed regarding Connolly, who is believed to have agreed an 18-month contract, Blues manager Mick McCarthy wouldn’t comment on whether his addition was imminent, but later added: “If we do sign Dylan Connolly then I liked him [when he was on trial] in the summer, I thought he was a good player.”

Connolly was one of three Shels players who spent time on trial with Town during pre-season, featuring in the friendly at Braintree, along with defender Ryan Robinson and midfielder Adam McDonnell, 17, who joined the Blues in August.

In November, Town were reported to be ready to offer Connolly a deal during this transfer window but, according to reports last week, issues relating to the training compensation due to Home Farm and Bohemians, his clubs prior to his spell with Shelbourne, were holding up the move.

Under FIFA rules when a young player switches between national associations compensation is due to all the clubs who have trained him between the ages of 12 and 21.

Irish U21 international Connolly was a regular for Shelbourne’s first team as they finished second in the Airtricity League First Division (second tier) during the 2014 season, making 27 appearances and top scoring for the Dublin side with 12 goals.

He was named in the PFAI First Division Team of the Year and nominated for the PFAI Young Player of the Year award.

Meanwhile, we understand that there has been no interest in out-of-favour striker Paul Taylor since his return from his loan spell at Rotherham midway through January.

Speaking on Friday, manager McCarthy revealed that the 27-year-old, whose contract is up in the summer, hasn’t been back at the club since leaving the Millers and won’t be returning, regardless of whether he finds a new club.

Town will now have to wait until the ‘emergency’ loan window opens in a week’s time before they can offload the former Peterborough man and his weekly wage of around £10,000.

Elsewhere, former Blues skipper David Norris, 33, has left Leeds United after his contract was terminated by mutual consent.

Midfielder Jack Collison, whose short-term spell with the Blues ended last month, has tweeted his thanks to everyone at Portman Road.

The former West Ham man, who failed to make a senior appearance for the Blues having suffered a knee injury playing for the U21s in November, has remained training with Town while he got back to full fitness.

Massive thank you to everyone @Official_ITFC especially the players & staff. What a fantastic club. Hope to See u in the prem next yr... ⚽️– Jack collison (@Jcollison31) February 2, 2015

Photo: Action Images

bellazzurri79 added 20:45 - Feb 2 Jesse Lingard has been withdrawn from man utds under 21s tonight as they prepare to let him go on loan... Please tell me mick mccarthy has been on the blower to Van Gaal????'!!!
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alliedaz added 20:55 - Feb 2 i would have thought after that shocker on saturday mick would have sniffed around a few teams for players and hope we aint a 1 man team and rely on murphy coz may come back and haunt us and teams around spending a few quid so who cares about this stupid new law
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bluefeast added 20:55 - Feb 2 We wont sign anyone , we are not as strong as the rest of the top 8 ,so 8th is prob where we will finish ,all because our limited squad has given its absolute all ,has run out of energy. When you look at Derby ,Middlesborough ,Bournmouth etc ,they play with the ball in terms of retention ,we don't , we run further than everyone else ,well great now we are burnt out with 18 games left. Hmmmm

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Michael11 added 20:57 - Feb 2 I think Lingard's off to Derby. Shame as he's exactly the kind of player we need. I think we'll try and maintain our position then sign players on a 93 day loan that will take us beyond the play off final date.
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bluefeast added 20:57 - Feb 2 Hull City midfielder Tom Ince is edging closer to a move to Championship high-flyers Derby County, according to sources at Sky.
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jpring89 added 21:02 - Feb 2 how disappointing considering what the other clubs are doing i hope this guy is good but can hardly see him playing. i do wonder if this club will ever be successful again
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jas0999 added 21:03 - Feb 2 Disappointing. Why wait for short term loans when half season ones are available today. At least two players short of being genuine promotion contenders. We simply don't have enough players in this squad.
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Surco72 added 21:15 - Feb 2 David Norris would outscore our midfield and he must be nearly 40 and only has one good knee !!
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S_Bassett added 21:16 - Feb 2 Typical Town fans. Stop moaning, trust Mick!
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ArnieM added 21:18 - Feb 2 He's 33 yrs old, 1 yr more than Murphy?
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blueboy1981 added 21:19 - Feb 2 MM displaying his stubbornness again in terms of acceptance of the current state of flux - as for our exciting signing news, I wish him well, but can't honestly say i'm enthralled at this point.
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sirmichealmills added 21:33 - Feb 2 I fear that this is a missed opportunity here, M.E should have gambled a bit, Derby have gone for it and I wouldn't be surprised if that'll reward them with an automatic place. Having said that I didnt expect we'd get in the top six anyway this season, as were still 2/3 short in my opinion
1

dukey44 added 21:40 - Feb 2 Erm. Am i wrong here. We get some Irish unknown yet derby bournemouth boro sign players please explain Micks ambitions here cause i am lost for words? Lets see how we are after 46 games? Top 8 one thinks. Sorry guys but in mm i dont trust. Hope i am proved wrong big time but cant see.it. COYB
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northstandblonde added 21:45 - Feb 2 MM hands are tied by the strict wage policy at PR
0

alliedaz added 21:45 - Feb 2 fair rules my backside its a small price to pay and if we went in premiership maybe evans and co would finally get a return and come on mick we need strength fast before we burn out
2

Scribble added 21:45 - Feb 2 @sbassett it's not about whether you trust Mick or not, I don't think anyone has been negative about him, it's about having a real genuine opportunity to finish in the top 2 and I believe we are only a few players short of having a squad capable of that. However like many others I feel this is an opportunity missed to make a real go of it. I take it you weren't at the game on Saturday otherwise I think you would see the squad needs a couple of additions, hate to say it but I feel we may start to slip now, look at the fixtures we have in March and what those clubs are doing with this window, can you honestly say we have what it takes to finish above teams like that without any additions.

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yerfdog87 added 21:47 - Feb 2 People who say stop moaning etc can shut up. The majority of fans saying same thing so can't all be wrong. Itfc are messing it up not strenthing now
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bellazzurri79 added 21:57 - Feb 2 If Derby pull off Darren bent Tom once and Jesse lingard in two weeks dealings then they are going up without a shadow of a doubt!!! Well done to Cardiff for gambling on Eion Doyle Well done to sheff wed for signing about 8 players that will add value to their promotion push
2

dirtydingusmagee added 21:57 - Feb 2 stop panicking ! a few weeks ago everyone was happy with the team,now after a couple of bad results ,people are getting a cob on because we are not signing new players.The bloody transfer window kicks the same crap over every year.It unsettles players and fans alike.When will people accept ITFC have not got the money to throw about, its not Micks fault, he has done very well on a tight budget . We just have to do the best with what we have, bite the bullet and dig in, COYB

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CharlieITFC added 22:00 - Feb 2 Although I agree to a certain extent that if we were to do a loan deal, it would make sense to try to do it today - however, what most of you are forgetting is that by being in the championship we usually have to wait for premier league clubs to confirm their 25 man squad for the second half of the season. And I am actually very confident that Muck knows what he is doing and probably has something up his sleeve. Also, has no one considered that signings don't mean success, and could actually disrupt the squad harmony (look at Paul Taylor) and so just because other teams are signing players, they might not be the right players and could have a negative impact... Oh, and I don't think bournemouth have signed anyone either, does that make them doomed to slip away? Of course not, but that doesn't seem to stop most of you spouting rubbish about us doing that.

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bluefeast added 22:08 - Feb 2 Its not about ambition ,its about absolute need ,our squad is exhausted ,both physically and in terms of ability. We dont even have balance to a starting 11. Square pegs round holes. Thats why we cant keep the ball. Watch us tank over the next 10 games. Others sides are fresh and inventive. We are knackery. We need new players and its easy to improve on what we have. Finally our once brilliant pitch is horrible

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bluefeast added 22:22 - Feb 2 Everyone in the 10 14 clubs have made signings apart from us, our team is playing like diesel has been put in a petrol engine. we need PLAYERS , thats NEED.
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bluefeast added 22:22 - Feb 2 According to Sky sources, forward Jesse Lingard has signed a new three-and-a-half-year deal with Manchester United. And the England U21 international has also agreed to go on loan to Derby County until end of the season.
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football89 added 22:23 - Feb 2 I have no doubt mick has a plan. He didn't build this squad on 10k by jumping in with everyone else. When the August window was shut and we was looking thin in midfield. He got ambrose on board Williams on loan and Bishop come through. Last few games have been disappointing but every team suffers a blip and at the moment we are losing points to teams who aren't going to pull away from us. We will come good again have patience.

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yerfdog87 added 22:34 - Feb 2 Barry bannon, yakubu. Players who could of made Us stronger.
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