Former Blues loanee Luke Garbutt has signed a one-year deal with fellow League One side Blackpool.

Town were keen to bring the 27-year-old, a free agent following his release by Everton, back to Portman Road on a permanent basis over the summer but after the introduction of the League One salary cap cooled their interest and signed Stephen Ward.

Sunderland were also in talks with Garbutt but were similarly hampered by the salary cap.

“I’m pleased to be here and looking forward to working under Neil Critchley,” Garbutt told the official Blackpool website.

“I really like what the head coach had to say when I spoke to him a few days ago, and he was a big factor in my move here. He’s spent the last few years at Liverpool and developed players really well, so I’m looking forward to what the future brings here.

“There’s big plans for this football club and I’m hopeful I can be a big part of what’s to come this season.”

Critchley added: “I’m delighted Luke has joined us for the upcoming season. He will bring experience to a youthful group, and he knows this division well having enjoyed a really successful season in League One last year.

“The fact he has chosen Blackpool over a number of other interested clubs, is a sign of how well the club is progressing.

“During my conversations with Luke, I felt his desire to come to Blackpool. I very much look forward to working with him, as he will be a vital member of our squad this season.”

Garbutt, who joins another former Blue Grant Ward at Bloomfield Road, made 29 starts and one sub appearance for Town during 2019/20, scoring six goals.

Photo: TWTD

Bluearmy_81 added 16:46 - Sep 22 Elmswell, ME needs to go. He needs to sell up. There are buyers at the right price. Fans need to put pressure on him to go. I pray we go up this year, honestly I do because if we don't we will be in league 1-2 or worse for a generation. Even if we did go up we wouldn't compete in the championship as we all know he wouldn't spend sufficiently to make us competitive, he hasn't done for years and isn't going to start again now. There is no future with Evans, how no one can see that boogles my mind

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therein61 added 16:48 - Sep 22 I think that in light of his joining Blackpool whatever else he was hoping for didn't happen he would have been a good addition to the squad playing in front of Ward and a ready fill in as and when Ward is injured, suspended or rested as i feel that Kenlock is just not going to make it.
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Bluearmy_81 added 16:48 - Sep 22 Sorry rabbit not biting. Yet more lies.... 😴😴😴
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rabbit added 17:07 - Sep 22 You just have bitten Bluearmy_81, the fact you cannot deny it speaks volumes, you didn't turn up; again face the truth, but oh no you simply cannot and then you come back yet again with the cowardly "lie" soundbite then run away for cover haha quite hilarious.
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cat added 17:24 - Sep 22 FFS what a waste of talent. Garbutt stood out heads and shoulders above most last season, you only had to see him in possession to see what a quality player he is. Playing him at wing back shackled him, but he was far better playing in the final third.
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Monkey_Blue added 17:30 - Sep 22 I suspect he's gone to Blackpool on the same or less than we offered. He probably expected a championship club to offer far more. It's ok holding out but in the end he had to take an offer that was still on the table.
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TractorRoyNo1 added 17:33 - Sep 22 Perspective please - if he was that great, someone a lot better than fing Blackpool would have signed him.
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stiff_talking added 17:33 - Sep 22 He was not well liked by all the ITFC players. A little full of himself. Given the fact he is not a team player this may be better news in the long run.
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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 17:45 - Sep 22 Bluearmy who says we were interested? Is it not more likely that we made an offer , he turned it down as he thought he was going to Sunderland then we signed Ward and no longer interested?
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therein61 added 18:05 - Sep 22 Please enlarge on your comment "stiff talking" and your source of information.
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BlueNomad added 18:51 - Sep 22 BlueArmy81. I would love to know who all these buyers are and what the “right price” is. Please consider also that football finances will, this year, have changed forever. Stop ranting and enjoy the fact we will probably still have a club. Many won't.
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busterjames1 added 18:56 - Sep 22 Probably the lure of free donkey rides swayed him .
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Bluearmy_81 added 19:45 - Sep 22 Elmswell, there is always a buyer at the right price. The right price is obviously lower than where it is currently. is that good enough for you, existence?! Could you set the bar any lower for your club? No wonder we are a joke club now with fans settling for possibly the most extreme 'better the devil you know' mindset ever!!
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blue86 added 20:58 - Sep 22 Garbutt was decent for us, and scored some goals and I would have liked him permanently. But I think he was holding out for a championship club which never materialised, let's be honest us or Sunderland would have been a better bet than blackpool (no offense blackpool) good luck to him, but only want players who want to play for town!
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IpswichToon added 22:00 - Sep 22 It's ridiculous for some people here to think that we lost out to Blackpool here. He was obviously holding out for a Championship club, so ITFC did what they needed to do and brought in Ward instead (who has been outstanding so far). The only reason Blackpool got him is because no Championship clubs wanted him, by which point the likes of us and Sunderland had already filled that gap. Simple as that.

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Linkboy13 added 23:02 - Sep 22 Seems odd that more clubs are interested in signing Kayden Jackson than Luke Garbutt, just shows what we know on here.
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rabbit added 08:28 - Sep 23 Bluearmy_81 expand on that please, "there is always a buyer at the right price"? So where do you in your capacity as a businessman set that price? So could ME give it away, yes he could, he could wipe off the debt, but the real elephant in the room is the cost of running the club in its present form. Do yourself a favour read the accounts so that you can make an informed judgement see exactly what the costs are for the backroom staff and academy. I'm afraid that the only way out of this financial mess with another potential owner would be sell the training ground and get rid of the academy, unless of course you know another wealthy owner that wants to be specifically an ITFC philanthropist. You clearly have no business knowledge what so ever otherwise your ridiculous assertions would not come through as abjectly stupid.

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BlueNomad added 09:07 - Sep 23 BlueArmy81 - Looking at what is going on in the world and the effect Covid / Brexit are / will have on the economy for the next few years then I would take existence over dreaming that your fantasy comes true. Of course I want us to get promoted this year, and expect us to be very serious challengers with what we have, but wouldn't expect there to be suddenly loads of money about even then. When will you accept that being a provincial club we won't attract oil magnates and Russian oligarchs queuing up to buy us "at the right price"?

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