Accrington Stanley central defender Janoi Donacien has been at Portman Road today, TWTD understands, however the move isn’t expected to be completed until tomorrow.

The Blues have agreed a fee with the League One club and Donacien is at the club to agree personal terms, undergo a medical and complete the other formalities relating to his switch.

This morning the 24-year-old St Lucian, who also plays at right-back, was absent from Accrington’s media day and when quizzed by the Lancashire Telegraph Accrington manager John Coleman revealed that the 6ft tall defender is close to joining the Blues.

“I think it’s getting finalised today, not done yet, but I’d be surprised if he’s not an Ipswich player by tonight,” he said.

Donacien, who moved to the UK with has family in 2001, was an academy youngster with Luton, Tottenham and Aston Villa before spending time out on loan with Tranmere, Wycombe and Newport while a Villans player.

Having failed to break into the first team at Villa Park, Donacien moved to Accrington on a free transfer in the summer of 2016. Since then he has made 85 starts and seven sub appearances, scoring once. Last season he helped Stanley to the League Two title.

Town are desperately in need of additions at centre-half with skipper Luke Chambers currently the only out-and-out senior central defender on the books following Adam Webster's departure to Bristol City.

Donacien could be one of two central defensive signings the Blues make before Saturday's opening game against Blackburn with manager Paul Hurst implying that Curtis Tilt being rested by Blackpool on Saturday could be good news in his long-standing pursuit of the 26-year-old.

Once Donacien completes his move to the Blues he will become the second St Lucian to represent Town following striker Earl Jean, who made one sub appearance in December 1996.

Town are also keen on Accrington Stanley striker Kayden Jackson. However, Accrington are yet to accept an offer for Jackson, 24, who was training with the League One club this morning, although it is expected he will move on before the transfer window closes on August 9th with a number of clubs interested.

Don’t know tbh. All bids have been resisted to date. https://t.co/rueQ1Gpxx5

— Andyh (@AndyhHolt) July 30, 2018

Town have been linked with the former Barnsley man on a number of occasions in recent weeks and we understand have firm interest in the Bradford-born frontman even if a deal is yet to be agreed.

Photo: Action Images

itfcserbia added 18:06 - Jul 30 Never heard of the lad but good luck and welcome. Any videos of him like that one of Tilt? I would like him too to be honest.
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Monkey_Blue added 18:08 - Jul 30 This is more of a need than a striker just in numbers terms. If Waghorn goes though I'd be disappointed if his AS team mate is the replacement
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Devereuxxx added 18:15 - Jul 30 Would be happy with a Centre Back contingent of Chambers, Donacien, Tilt and Woolfenden. A good mixture of experience and pace.With the type of football Hurst wants to play, mobility could be key if CB's are left isolated 1 on 1. Hopefully, they'll be able to mix that with a physical presence at set pieces, which has been a weakness.
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Reuserscurtains added 18:17 - Jul 30 League 2 experience and will be considered as first 11. I'm a little worried, the championship is better than it was a few years ago. You can't build a spine on risks. Hope I'm wrong
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flimflam added 18:20 - Jul 30 Won the League and was ever present, could turn out to be a bargain. Exactly the player we should be targeting.
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captainfantastic added 18:23 - Jul 30 Can play across the back by primarily as RB/LB. He's quick, comfortable on the ball and likes to support attacks and good at crossing. Imagine he'd start at RB. Should be a good signing
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toxtethblue added 18:31 - Jul 30 Got a feeling we're getting this guy in instead of Tilt, not as well as. Hope I'm wrong. It's just I know Blackpool want 1m and we've offered 600k and rather than just paying for a quality player when we know we have the money to, instead we go for the bargain basement bin again because the thought of paying 7 figures makes us go a bit dizzy. Pretty pathetic and embarrassing really...

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Bert added 18:34 - Jul 30 McAuley has no club (I believe) so a stop gap measure on a rolling contract could be a possibility if we are still lightweight cum Saturday. Wolfenden did well but still learning.
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WaltonBlueNaze added 18:35 - Jul 30 Any idea on the fee? Would be great to get their striker as well !
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cat added 18:49 - Jul 30 All new signings are welcome when the squads as ‘wafer thin' as ours. We can't expect every new addition to make it, but PH's knowledge of lower leagues should give us the edge. Now for that marquee signing. (Lol) Toxethblue - great to see your sticking to your believes mate, specially in the face of adversity. To many ‘safe posters' on here, so fair play to you.
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GTRKing added 18:54 - Jul 30 He looks ok and hope he dose a good job for town.. Looks like tilt deal is still on as well.. Some of these players will work some won't will see what happens
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tractorshark added 19:26 - Jul 30 6ft is not particularly big for a centre back so I presume we're looking at him as a right-back or on the right of a 3-man defence. We still need a commanding centre-back. Maybe Tilt is that man.
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Fat_Boy_Tim added 19:26 - Jul 30 I can understand your frustrations Toxtethblue and there's no need for everyone to start throwing insults about. A couple of things though. There's a lot on here about “championship experience” and “proven at this level” etc I think our history of players brought in from lower divisions is pretty good and players like Chopra, Campo etc have not done us any favours!

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StokeHigh97 added 19:44 - Jul 30 Some on here make me laugh: we all live within a budget! Ask yourself if yr Mortgage lender said they could give you a mortgage of £120,000 would you then say! Ill go for £160,000! None of you here would do it: you can't buy what you can't afford Football is no different for any club outside premier league or without Parachute payments: we will probably sign Curtis Tilt anyway, it has been stated today he wants too come here!

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Woodbridgian added 19:52 - Jul 30 Toxethblue or should that be Toxicblue you really need to get a life!
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glassblower added 19:56 - Jul 30 Spanish - no need for nasty names. Toxteth - you must be a proper old Suffolk boy to be so pessimistic. Hurst said he wants 2 centre backs. Here is centre back #1.
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dirtydingusmagee added 19:57 - Jul 30 so many saying who they don't want ,but not saying who they do want [that we can afford .]
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meekreech added 20:02 - Jul 30 Fatboytim When the players were signed from the lower divisions ( the good and the bad ) they were signed by managers who were experienced at the championship level ! I have to agree that Hurst has been a success at his previous clubs but all of the players so far linked with were mentioned as being wanted by him whilst he was managing Shrewsbury. There is a great difference in the jump to the championship over the jump to the 1st division. Hurst himself is going to find the championship rather more difficult than his previous levels of management with the higher levels of management experience available in the rest of the league .

1

marcusevans added 20:17 - Jul 30 I suspect if Hurst has got Shrewsbury promoted and stayed there these types of players he had earmarked for them to help try and keep them up I.e. he thinks they are good enough for our level. Do you really think he would not tell ME that he can't compete at this level if he thought we can't? If Hurst believes they are worth a try then I am prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt for now until proven right or wrong. We all supported his appointment, so support his decisions.

4

warktheline added 20:29 - Jul 30 Abit of positivity wouldn't go amiss! New manager, new ideas..... young hungry manager and players aiming to prove themselves at a higher level ! We all need to be their '12th man' and get Portman Rd rocking! COYB.
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baxter7 added 20:39 - Jul 30 To all you moaners last season you all going about the lack of transfers before the season started now your all moaning about the players we are signing give Hurst a break and support him and the players he signs or there is a club just up the A140 called Norwich support them instead
6

WoodfordTim added 21:50 - Jul 30 Let's face it, there's not much of a step up to Championship level from the lower leagues anyway, nothing like stepping up from the Championship to the Premier League. We have to trust our new manager's judgement. He's a football man and the two stand out players on Saturday were the two he has brought in. Let's get behind PH & the team. And the way PH is getting the team to play is brilliant to watch. I reckon Town will be a nightmare to play against. COYB!!!

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baxter7 added 21:55 - Jul 30 Well said Woodford Tim and true just wish a few other fans think the same coybs
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CBlue added 22:22 - Jul 30 It's so much easier for people to say what they don't like than what they do. It doesn't invalidate their opinion, however, if you simply state that one opinion over and over and can't put forward a counter argument it gets dull. It would be great to hear from those up in arms about our signings who they would want to see us specifically bring in? All it sounds like at the moment is that whoever we sign there will always be something wrong with them. Let be realistic we are not winning the league, we are club rebuilding, it would be great to see us flirt with the playoffs but it is going to take more than one transfer window and a good amount of time for PH to undo 5 years of MM handy work. These signings look like a start, lets judge PH at the end of the 2019/20 season not 1 week before the first game. COYB!

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directwilder added 22:48 - Jul 30 Excited about the two defenders we are linked with young,pacey,and out there to prove themselves! A bit of a punt on Donacian but could be better than Spence and Emmanuel but as for tilt we need to make his happen and meet the £1 mill before someone else does, that guy can play attack's from the back and defends well! COYB!!
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