Manager Paul Lambert has given midfielder Flynn Downes a couple of days off “to clear his head” following Crystal Palace’s offers and the 21-year-old handing in a transfer request. Lambert says Downes won’t be involved in Saturday’s opening game of the season, the Carabao Cup first round tie against Bristol Rovers at Portman Road.

As previously reported, Town rebuffed offers from the Eagles of £1.2 million and then £1.6 million with the England U20 international subsequently making it known to the club that he would be interested in the move.

"Flynn has trained all week but it’s an unsettling time for him at the moment and he’s only a young lad," Lambert told the club site.

"It’s the first time in his career he is experiencing this situation and it can be difficult, especially at his age.

"I have spoken to him and told him to have a couple of days off. It will give him time to clear his head and then he’ll be back with us again next week.

"He’s a very talented player so I’m not surprised there has been interest in him but the bids we have had are nowhere near the valuation that the owner is looking for, and rightly so.

"I’d expect Flynn to be with us when the transfer window closes in October — unless someone comes up with an offer that the club has to consider and we are a long way off that at the moment.”

Town were previously reported to be holding out for £4 million for Downes, TWTD readers' Player of the Year in 2019/20, and an initial fee at around that level or towards £5 million plus substantial top-up clauses, such as appearance milestones, might more serious consideration from Town owner Marcus Evans. Claims that the Blues are after £8 million would appear unlikely in the current market.

Brentwood-born Downes, who we understand has recently taken on a new agent, is contracted to Town until the summer of 2022 with the club having an option for a further season.

TWTD first revealed that Palace were keen on Downes in early July with their sporting director Dougie Freedman having been at the Blues' game at Blackpool at the end of February as the Eagles continued an ongoing watching brief having first made contact with Town in January.

West Ham, who Downes supports and who he faced in a friendly at Portman Road last Tuesday, also made their interest known to the Blues in January, while Fulham are among the other clubs to have been keeping tabs on the Brentwood-born schemer. Reports of interest from Arsenal are understood to be wide of the mark.

Photo: Matchday Images

Bluearmy_81 added 17:46 - Sep 3 Karlos gobble gobble 😂🤣
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braveblue added 17:57 - Sep 3 Snowflake.
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Saxonblue74 added 18:03 - Sep 3 Typical story of the modern game I'm afraid. Players and agents ruling the game whilst owners and managers tiptoe around their precious, prized assets. He'd rather move to a season of utter football wilderness for extra money than get his head down and graft for the club that has invested in him since the age of 11. Perhaps he could work his way to a successful season for us and become an actual talent, rather than just another potential talent. This is, in my opinion, why Sir Alex Ferguson had such huge success with his youthful squad in the 90s. He knew how to control young egos, when to praise, when to encourage and when to strike the fear of God into them! Make Downes play whilst he's under contract and if he performs poorly, drop him. What does that do for his career? No longer in a shop window, can't get a place in a struggling lge1 starting line up. Cloud cuckoo land I know. Deal is most likely all but done. RIP football.

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chepstowblue added 18:11 - Sep 3 Bless him. There's something quite pathetic about the modern day footballer. Even the comically labelled ' tough tackling star' is unable to cope with this mental trauma that he's going through. Rest up Flynn and get well soon. In my prayers....FFS !!
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RegencyBlue added 19:01 - Sep 3 Subtext - Deal is nearly done!
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cat added 19:18 - Sep 3 Downes has had his head turned and who can blame him. At 21 he ain't that young and football is a short career. Now the transfer request is in there's no turning back. You want out, then go. What I will say though is he's given us 10 years of his life so respect and good wishes are deserved, not bitterness.
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blootheref added 19:18 - Sep 3 If he must go, ask £4m plus a season loan to us to continue his education here?
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GiveusaWave added 19:33 - Sep 3 Sadly he'll end up going when Palace bid again.... He is worth 4 million.....we might end up losing him for 2 with no player at the club who can step into that role. Dozzell/Bishop etc aren't box-to-box midfielders.
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Surco72 added 19:40 - Sep 3 Transfer has been agreed just haggling over final price , we cannot afford for him to get injured or no deal , Palace dont want him cup tied as only games he will play for them . Money can be spent on loan wages
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BeattiesBackPocket added 19:48 - Sep 3 Karlosfandangol there you go at a time he seemed interested but agree with you to a point. However since he lost interest we've taken way under the market value for the likes of Webster, waghorn, Bart etc. Plus we've let people go for nothing like leadbitter, Norris and many other near the start because he let their contracts run out and they are the reasons our debt is as big as it is! Poor management whichever way you looks at it

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Saxonblue74 added 19:54 - Sep 3 Cat, funny how we all see things in a different light. Agree that 21 isn't that young in football but I see that as him not achieving much. You see him as having given the club 10 years, I see it as the club has developed him for 10 years for him to drop us like a stone.
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Skip73 added 19:57 - Sep 3 I've been furloghed since March and still have no idea if and when I will be back at work thats a difficult situation. Footballers today need to grow a pair and get on with their overpaid jobs. Pathetic.
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cat added 20:01 - Sep 3 He's ambitious and wants to better himself Saxon, I'd say that's a good thing.
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Karlosfandangal added 21:05 - Sep 3 Beattie. Fair point, did smile when you mentioned Leadbitter and Norris as I guess 95% on here could not wait for them to leave for free as all they did was slag them off all the time. Bit like Chambers and Skuse.
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BeattiesBackPocket added 21:40 - Sep 3 Karlos yeah don't get me wrong I think both are liabilities past 3 years but either way have been good servants to us and I won't slag them off even if I don't want them in the team
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hyperbrit added 22:40 - Sep 3 agree... the deals these days have nothing to do with football.
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ArnieM added 00:08 - Sep 4 Downes is adult enough to have made the decision he wants to leave the Club, so maybe he should be man enough to kill time in the U23's , because he clearly doesn't want to be a Town player anymore . Cheerio 👋 Give Dobra a chance - now he DOES want to be a Town player !
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blueboy1981 added 00:09 - Sep 4 This Club needs to stop being a soft touch, on and off the Pitch - all too often it's an easy touch for so many. Downes should be in the Squad and playing, if he doesn't want to be at the Club then get the best figure possible for him and let him go. Supporters pay good money, and should have the right to see players who genuinely want to be out there. All too easy, for too long, for too many. Get tough - and we may start to be some kind of force again, otherwise the demise will continue.

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blueboy1981 added 00:30 - Sep 4 High time in this game that players had some respect for supporters - they want them when it suits them ! Or should we wrap both Downes and Lambert in cotton wool, and feel sad for them both - just don't expect me to do so. We need an ass kicker at the Club, not Cotton Wool people.
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shefki86 added 01:12 - Sep 4 Get a grip ffs! Not an issue with Flynn wanting the move, who can blame him if a prem club comes sniffing, but having time off and missing the first game of the season!? Pathetic!! If anything this should be motivation to get out on the field and prove you're good enough and force the move with your football, not throwing a tantrum and being sent home!! Melt
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JewellintheTown added 07:04 - Sep 4 Not happy with the situation but at the end of the day it's all about money, fame & gambling on your future chances. We all talk about loyalty but at the end of the day we'd all do the same in his boat. Better pay, better club, better players around you & management, better opportunities all round. The club has let him & us fans down & I don't blame him but gutted to lose that talent if he does. Too many decent players have left this once great club & gone on to much better things. I was all for giving second, third, fourth etc chances but I think the on and off pitch Management of this club has taken every promise and slapped it in our faces. Players have laughed at us & openly admitted they've milked us as a club & fans that pay the bills. No loyalty, no honour, just greed. Utter shambles & only going to get worse unless deep rooted change happens at this club & quickly. Rotten to the core.

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BlueSwede added 09:16 - Sep 4 With this being a players - or agents - market after the Bosman-ruling I feel that the clubs only alternative is to hold the players to their contracts since they go for free when the contract is over. The players have their free choice to leave when the contract is up. Until then it should be soley up to the club to decide on every offer made. I can understand Downs wanting to move to the Premier League and money talks. I can understand him being disappionted if the transfer doesn't go through, but he is 21 and has to prove himself with us to get another, better offer. He is under contract and until he has played it out, he should honor it. Why sign a contract in the first place if you intend to break it? Unless he did it like former Man Utd-player Jesper Blomqvist when he was leaving IFK Gothenburg back in the mid-90's. He signed a contract with the club just as his was about to expire, only so that IFK could get a big transferfee for him when leaving for AC Milan.

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afcfee added 09:19 - Sep 4 We need to hold strong the rest of our midfield are weak to be nice and we have no chance replacing him, worth more to us at having a crack at promotion than a couple million, tell him can go choose to go next season promotion or not.
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afcfee added 09:21 - Sep 4 Bit rude trying get a move away after being paid but not playing a game in 7 months aswell no way we should allow it.
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Razor added 10:52 - Sep 4 Perhaps the manager should take some time off-----like forever!!
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