Downes Completes Loan Move to Luton
Wednesday, 31st Jan 2018 18:16 Midfielder Flynn Downes’s loan move to League Two leaders Luton Town for the remainder of the season has been confirmed.
Hatters boss Nathan Jones says he’s delighted to add the 19-year-old to his squad for the season’s final push.
“Flynn is a young Championship player who Ipswich have big hopes for,” he told the Hatters official site.
“We don’t take many loans, but we knew about him and once we were made aware he’d become available, we felt it was worth the chance to take him.
“He’s a real energetic, combative midfield player. We know what type of character and what type of worker he is, because he’s one that Mick McCarthy likes — and if Mick McCarthy likes him we know we are getting a real top midfield player.
“We are delighted that Mick was very complimentary about our environment and how we play. He was instrumental in allowing Flynn to come out and get more experience with us.”
England U19 intenational Downes himself added: “I can’t wait to get started. It’s happened totally out of the blue. I was called into the gaffer’s office and he literally just said ‘Do you want to go out on loan to Luton?’ I just said ‘Yes, get me there, I just want to be playing football!’.
“That is the main reason I’ve come, because I want to play football. Every youngster wants to be improving, and that’s my aim — to come here, improve and help the team.”
Manager Jones continued: “For us to bring someone in in that area, he has to be a very good footballer and has to be different to what we’ve got.
“We are looking to strengthen in that area just in case we had to move Glen [Rea from midfield to the centre of the defence], but now it gives us options at both centre-half and in midfield.
“With what we’ve done today we’ve strengthened the squad for the run-in, getting players that were as good, if not better than what we already had in the building.
“Both Flynn and Lloyd [Jones, signed today from Liverpool] come into that category and we think that we’ve got two fantastic signings; two young players who are hungry to do well, and that fits into what we need.”
Downes broke into the Town first team at the start of the campaign but last featured for Mick McCarthy’s side in November with injuries having hampered him in recent months.
The Brentwood-born academy product is very much viewed as one for the future and the move would is one purely so he can gain experience of senior football.
In the summer, having impressed in pre-season, Downes signed a contract which runs to the end of June 2020, with the club having an option for a further season, only a matter of weeks after putting pen to paper on his first professional deal.
Meanwhile, we understand Mustapha Carayol has not yet arrived at the club for his medical and to formalise his move to the Blues, which is expected to be completed before tonight’s 11pm deadline.
However, with his Nottingham Forest contract having been terminated by mutual consent earlier today, Town could still recruit the 29-year-old winger outside the window, although they would have to wait seven days to complete the signing.
In addition to Carayol, Limerick right-back Barry Cotter, 19, is also expected to complete his £70,000 switch to Town this evening.
Elsewhere, it’s claimed Crystal Palace could revive their interest in Blues keeper Bartosz Bialkowski with their move for Getafe’s Vicente Guaita again having stalled.
However, TWTD understands the report is purely speculative and even if the Eagles were to make an approach at this late point in the window, and with Bialkowski having agreed - although not signed - a new two-year deal with an option for a further year, it seems highly unlikely that the Blues would be willing to sell.
In any case Palace and Getafe are continuing talks and a deal appears likely to be done before the deadline.
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Ipswichbusiness added 18:28 - Jan 31
In comes a short-term free (Gleeson), out goes one of our own youngsters. |  | |
WaffleMan added 18:28 - Jan 31
Send him out on loan, will then get sold, then will come back to bite us on the ass just like Marriott, Rhodes, Hourihane. Etc. Don't understand why he can't stay with us and gain some championship experience when we are out of both cups and mid table. Also, Connolly's not our player, hyam has wooden legs, and skuse is ageing. Surely time to start building for the future? |  | |
iaintaylorx added 18:36 - Jan 31
Good luck lad, but bringing in Gleeson and sending him out? Is there any point?
Can we confirm Bart has signed a new deal? Lots of speculation linking him again to Palace... | | |
cromwellblue added 18:40 - Jan 31
Sincerely hope this is just a loan. For me the best of the crop coming from the academy.
Have to agree it's a shame not to see him play for us | | |
jas0999 added 18:43 - Jan 31
Wish him all the best. I'd have preferred to see him play for us though.
Great deal for Luton. | | |
christiand added 18:44 - Jan 31
Terrific move for Downes he will get regular first team football which he needs not bits and pieces with us and not the U23s, he's progressed beyond that now. With Connolly, Skuse, Gleeson, Adeyemi (if he ever gets fully fit), Bru and Nydam that's a lot of players to fit in to two defensive positions.
Good luck to him with the Hatters, he'll get a great experience there which will benefit his development as a player. | | |
brittaniaman added 19:17 - Jan 31
Nothing mentioned about McGoldrick then ??? | | |
Terry_Nutkins added 19:18 - Jan 31
Excellent move all for all parties. He's got a taste of it here. He's not quite ready for us and to be consistant at our level. He can get excellent experience there which will benefit them shirt term and us long term. We really need to prepare for next season as injuries have hampered us this season. Pleased to see us signing young players and preparing for the future! | | |
BlueBlood90 added 19:21 - Jan 31
“and if Mick McCarthy likes him we know we are getting a real top midfield player.”
Funny you should say that because he hasn't signed a good midfield player for us in 4 years. |  | |
algarvefan added 19:24 - Jan 31
No Ambition, no vision, no building and no future.........welcome to McCarthy World.
We are rapidly becoming a joke, we are out of both cups and mid table, what a fine time for Downes to learn his trade instead of some loanee journeyman, it's called building a young settled squad where I come from, some bloke called Bobby Robson was good at it.
|  | |
tractorboybig added 19:51 - Jan 31
well done, move out the young talent and bring in old dross. What a vision for the future this club has. Turn in your grave Bobby alls forgotten, |  | |
itfchorry added 19:54 - Jan 31
With just a few hours before the window closes,
I would also release the following-
Gcon
Kikapu (Loan)
Billy Baxter was Best
Getinmustang
SW98
Bert
Liz Edwards
Tottenham Timmy
McCarthy
Milne
Evans | | |
heathen66 added 20:01 - Jan 31
Of all the comings and goings in this quiet window, I think this surprises me more than anything. If Flynn is fit then from a club perspective he should be playing in front of loanees and journeymen. Flynn should be the future of this club.
We are currently more than 8 games (yes... games not points in our current form) away from the play-offs and with the owner not willing to give the departing Manager money to spend on players the new boss may not want, then surely Downes should have an extended run in the first team in place of either Connelly or Skuse.
A run of 17 games will give the club irrespective of the manager an idea as to whether Downes has a future here next season and beyond. All we will know come July is Yes he done well for Luton in League 2 but can he step up to the Championship...of that we will be no wiser.
The one player IMO that needs to be loaned out to prove his fitness is Luke Hyam |  | |
TimmyH added 20:59 - Jan 31
Huh? can't understand this for the life of me!...he did okay when he played earlier in the season and we're short in midfield. So now we have Gleason in he (Flynn) goes out on loan!
How many of our youngsters have gone out on loan to come back into the first team a better player?...it wouldn't matter if I had sever frostbite and lost all my fingers as I wouldn't need them to count.
By the way who is Tottenham Timmy? @itfchorry |  | |
blueboy1981 added 21:20 - Jan 31
....... have we any youngsters left that aren't on loan ??? | | |
Taricco_Fan added 21:41 - Jan 31
Best of luck, Flynn. Try not to get injured.
But, you know, he should be in our first team. He's already proven himself good enough at Championship level. A real talent, but one I'd rather we nurture here. Our midfield is decimated with injury, giving Downes the perfect opportunity to get regular starts and stake his place in the first eleven for next season.
Another puzzling move by the club. |  | |
Mark added 23:04 - Jan 31
I'm in two minds about this. I think Luton will be good for Downes, he can play regularly and return a better player. BUT, with our lack of midfield options I think he is needed here and I would like to see young players prioritised in our own team ahead of short-term signings and loans, especially now there is little left to play for this season. |  | |
TonyHumesIpswich added 01:11 - Feb 1
Odd decision especially since Adeyemi is injured again. | | |
harlingblue added 01:59 - Feb 1
Downes looked very impressive in the U23 game against Millwall on Monday, replacing the injury prone Adeyemi. He certainly looks as if he has had a (growing spurt) in height and perhaps the Town physios want his strength to catch up, before being put back into the Championship fray?
A loan move to top of the table Luton, shows just how much he has improved this season, and that he should return to have a Town 1st team place nailed on next season.
The fact that Hyam also looked in fine form might have determined the deal?
Next season could see a much improved Town 1st team, there are some very good young Academy players starting to come to the fore, masterminded by Klug and with many ex Town players as team managers or coaches. | | |
blueherts added 11:43 - Feb 1
I think this is the best thing for his development - One of the best players I have seen come through our academy in a long while - intelligent player - . Luton play good football and have a good young manager - I think he will only thrive there and come back better for us next season as a regular alonside Dozzell . New broom over the summer will sweep most of the old guard out I am sure and that is from top down .
Downes , Nydam , Dozzell , Kenlock , Webster , Bart , Morris and Folami are the future for this club and with a young footballing manager , maybe alongside a wiser older head - preferably with an Ipswich pedigree - I think we have the makings of an exciting set up
Thanks Mick and Tel but after May - a new guard is needed ! |  | |
runaround added 12:57 - Feb 1
Hopefully will get some games at Luton & experience to help push into our starting XI next season. I have been impressed by Downes on the few occasions he's made our first team so I hope we get to see more of him here |  | |
Theipswich added 16:14 - Feb 1
Bring in more loanees and send out our youngsters as they have no chance of making the first team. Clearly we are building for the future... what a disaster zone we are. We pick up players who can't even make the 1st team in a struggling club and send out our promising youngsters...when we will not even be pushing for promotion. Yuk ! | | |
Swn98 added 20:23 - Feb 8
itfcchorry complete fool. | | |
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