Town will not be making any further additions to their squad before the transfer window closes at 11pm.

The Blues have spent today primarily trying to negotiate a deal to sign a striker but we understand that having made a seven-figure bid they were unable to come to an agreement regarding a valuation with that player’s current club, who were keen to bring in a signing of their own before allowing the target to move on.

Another potential replacement for Daryl Murphy, who moved on to Newcastle for £3 million at the weekend, became available late this evening but with not enough time remaining to get a deal done.

The Blues will now wait until January before bringing in another striker to compete for a place in the Town attack with yesterday’s signings Leon Best and Tom Lawrence, and Brett Pitman, Freddie Sears, David McGoldrick and Luke Varney.

Previously, the Blues had a £1 million offer turned down by Barnsley for midfielder-turned-striker Marley Watkins, while another versatile attacking player was also on the Blues’ deadline day radar.

Having added Best, who signed a one-year deal with an option for a further campaign, and season-loan loanee Lawrence yesterday, Jonny Williams returning for his fourth loan spell, also for the season, was ultimately the only addition on the final day of the transfer window.

While the exit of a young player on loan was close at one stage, the only exit was Cameron Stewart, whose contract was terminated by mutual consent.

Photo: Action Images

Warkys_Tash added 22:39 - Aug 31 It was Crazy allowing Murph to go without having a replacement nailed on - other clubs don't let that happen. Sears out of form, McGoldrick always injured, Varney isn't a goal scorer & Best is back-up at best. Shame because Lawrence & Williams are exciting signings! £3m for a 33year old signed originally on a free sounds good on the face of it.....until now.
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blueboy1981 added 22:39 - Aug 31 POUNDLAND - again. Trouble was Evans / McCarthy forgot to take the wallet / chequebook. Accidentally on purpose - of course.
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grumpyoldman added 22:40 - Aug 31 If the club is losing money year on year and Evans is making up the short fall, can people please explain how he is asset stripping or putting the money in his back pocket. Please think logically before posting a diatribe against Evans
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Warkys_Tash added 22:40 - Aug 31 Oh & theres 'no pace' Pitman.. Good finisher, no legs
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bedsitfc added 22:40 - Aug 31 Well it takes away the option of kick it long to Murphy (or someone like Murphy) to chase. The more I think about it the happier I am
5

Surco72 added 22:41 - Aug 31 I bet all those that slated the moaners for saying Best was Murphy's cheap replacement and wait and see who MM pulls out are feeling silky now . Sane old story money in the bank and free or loan gamble replacements .
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blueboy1981 added 22:42 - Aug 31 ....... trouble with Sears is he's had his natural game 'coached' out of him. Playing him all over the place has ruined him. Now - miracles will be expected of him.
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Green_Army added 22:44 - Aug 31 Forgetting the 'no money spent' side of things, I Personally don't think this is as bad as a lot of these comments are making out. Yes, we haven't signed a 6ft+ striker like Daryl as a replacement, but what does it achieve. Game after game people moan about the style of play, hoof ball! Not having that option any more will force MM to change our style of play and revert Sears to his original striker position when he first arrived at the club and was scoring for fun. I was at the Preston game and was impressed by Brett Pitman's work rate and his ability to win aerial duels - he won 59% of headers in that game, which is impressive against central defenders. We've now got creativity coming out of our ears, there was a point not long ago were we were screaming out for it. Ward, Williams, Grant, Bishop and Lawrence (Didz when he returns). It points to a 4-2-3-1 formation, but I'm intrigued to see how it will play out. Stop the moaning and get behind the boys because this is one of the most exciting and most capable bunch of players we've had in a single squad since MM arrived.

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prebsa added 22:44 - Aug 31 I don't mind too much. Disappointed that we haven't got another striker in but this is now the chance for Pitman to step up. With a lot of good talented midfielders behind him thanks to some good deals over the last few days he could really thrive! Then with Sears and best to come off the bench aswell. Now to wait and see if it all works out. COYB!
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kingy4978 added 22:45 - Aug 31 So we didn't sign a striker for a fee for what ever reason but there are still free agents who we could possibly sign at anytime. They may not be everyone's first choice but the lines of Adebayor, berbetov, sessegon, anichibe, Zamora, bedtner, odenwingie, macheda etc.
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blueboy1981 added 22:46 - Aug 31 bedsitfc .............. it will continue - just that every ball will be hoofed long to someone two feet shorter than Murphy ......... 'defenders birthdays all in one'. It gets better - I'm told.
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alpblue added 22:49 - Aug 31 So sell our main targetman for our famous hoof ball and fail to get another in, best sears buys some stilts although he'll have to buy em himself not sure the club could afford em!! Wonder what the next home attendance will be now, on the plus side I should have plenty of leg room near my seat.
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onthehoof added 22:49 - Aug 31 Good management = having a couple of back up plans when you sell a good player asset. A lot of the activity has been positive and in midfield I thought we were looking good even before JW was confirmed. Maybe the size of our midfield assets will good given the injuries that some of them tend to attract. However, why have all this positive change when you cannot complete the jigsaw with a quality striker asset replacement. Unless there is a hidden strategy here I concur with fans in that its a bit of a flat finish to the window to not deliver something positive with a new striker. Wish Mr Best well but he is not George! Just hope this does not come to define our season as predicted by others on this site. ITFC to the core.

2

hancockingoal added 22:49 - Aug 31 Best released by Rotherham, Lawrence who?, Williams warms his back on the physio bench! I desperately home I am wrong, but I am seriously unimpressed!
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runaround added 22:50 - Aug 31 The player who became available late on, couldn't we have tried for a loan with view to permanently in Jan?
0

Daniel235 added 22:50 - Aug 31 Come on guys!!!! We don't need another striker we got six that's plenty. We need a new defender back up one.
1

BlueNomad added 22:50 - Aug 31 Grumpyoldman don't try logic on here! ME tried doing business and couldn't get an agreement. Is that a lack of ambition? Of course it isn't. I wonder how often the whingers here pay over the odds for anything significant and if so whether their finances are in good order. Others blame MM. He does not decide how much to spend or join in negotiations. As I say, logic and reason go out of the window on this forum. I now expect prebbs007 to declare I am an "idiot."

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hancockingoal added 22:51 - Aug 31 I desperately hope!
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custard added 22:51 - Aug 31 Despite his millions, ME just doesn't want to invest to the extent we fans want him too. Money from Mings will have covered some/all of last seasons wages, meaning ME dips less into his own pocket to keep the club 'going'. Whilst MM has proven shrewd in the transfer window in the past I would like to see how he would get on with some serious dough. ME seems to have been scarred by the spending of RK, and is now reluctant to realise that with Premier League money filtering into the Championship the cost of the modern footballer is only going to increase. I'm keen to see how the squad copes between now and Jan, but once again, I am left disappointed on transfer deadline day.

3

roytheboy added 22:52 - Aug 31 Well what did we all expect, remember this is Ipswich we're talking about.
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hancockingoal added 22:53 - Aug 31 Same old same old! PNE bullied us 2nd half Saturday, at least we will stay up!
2

hancockingoal added 22:55 - Aug 31 In January you only get what their clubs don't want, why would we want them?
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GiveusaWave added 22:57 - Aug 31 Pittman will be playing a pivotal role this season. He is a good striker but not a traditional target man. We may need to adjust our tactics to suit the fact that we have no target man. Less balls in the sky lads!
3

blrmy added 22:58 - Aug 31 So those who dont want hoofball are complaining we didn't replace a big tall striker woth someone sinilar. #sigh #onlyontwtd I pleased we didnt pay over the odds as a ransom for the deadline.
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blueboy1981 added 23:02 - Aug 31 ......... and what's more - the Club could no longer care a 'flying f' what any of us think ......... as long as enough keep coughing up. Now that is a significant change in IPSWICH TOWN FOOTBALL CLUB - and not for the better.
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