Town have signed young Arsenal central defender Mark McGuinness on loan for the season.

McGuinness, who stands 6ft 4in tall, impressed for Arsenal’s U21s as he skippered them to their 2-1 EFL Trophy victory over the Blues earlier this month.

The London-born Republic of Ireland U19 international is yet to make a competitive first-team appearance for the Gunners with the game against Town only his second EFL Trophy tie for their U21s.

A member of the Arsenal's U18 team which won the Premier League South in 2018/09, partnering former Blues youngster Harry Clarke at the heart of the defence.

McGuinness, who has been with the Gunners since he was 10, signed a professional contract in April and has been training with the first team since then.

He missed much of last season due to injury but caught the attention of Arsenal fans in pre-season when he headed a goal against the MK Dons in a friendly in his first appearance for the senior side.

Town boss Paul Lambert has been after another centre-half all summer, with veteran former Derby skipper Richard Keogh having been targeted.

Since the introduction of the League One salary cap, any further Blues additions have seemed most likely to be loanees aged below 21, whose wages don't count towards the limit.

Photo: ITFC

MurcianITCC added 20:02 - Sep 22 Don't want to jinx this...but feeling we are in good shape atm...Dozzell is looking like the player we thought he was, VY, Wolfe to return..(stay top of the league another couple of week until the Gov cancel the season and we'll be dancing! )
3

BlueArrow added 20:39 - Sep 22 Excellent signing he was awesome against us never put a foot wrong. If he plays half as well for the rest of season we've done a brilliant deal. Welcome Mark you have a great future in front of you.
3

Saxonblue74 added 20:47 - Sep 22 Really pleased with this, not to mention surprised! Despite 2 clean sheets I still think we look shaky at the back and would have been punished by better opposition.
5

Saxonblue74 added 20:50 - Sep 22 Really pleased with this, not to mention surprised! Despite 2 clean sheets I still think we look shaky at the back and would have been punished by better opposition.
0

TractorRoyNo1 added 21:10 - Sep 22 I-I RA the Ipswich Republican Army welcome Mr M McGuinness
-2

BlueArrow added 21:20 - Sep 22 Tractor Roy that takes me back upsetting the Birmingham fans
2

BlueandTruesince82 added 21:34 - Sep 22 If he plays like he did the other night its a good bit of busisness.... our defence was weak last year. Chambo actulally looks better at RB ATM... Toto needs to convince over more than 2 games, Wilson I like, no nonsense and I think you need one defender like that at this level... Woolfie is clear class... Ndaba hopefully still gets chances to impress but if we get 90 mins each week like this lad put in the other night its bang on...

2

algarvefan added 22:17 - Sep 22 Good signing imo we haven't conceded in the league yet but I think we look vulnerable at the back currently, a good loan striker would suit now please.
2

Bert added 22:34 - Sep 22 Arsenal would not loan this guy out to any club. This signing shows that the club is still thought of as a decent club. With the knowledge that clubs are going to be starved of gate income, it's comforting to know that the owner is still interested. He may have made bad decisions in the past but with what the world is facing we are fortunate that he has the finances and the will to keep the club trading and afloat. That may grate with some but I'm a realist.

10

MDBLUE1 added 22:36 - Sep 22 Great signing in what had been our weakest position
2

Linkboy13 added 22:49 - Sep 22 Good signing we haven't had a big dominant centre half since Gareth Mcauley. Against the good sides in this league we struggled last season and we haven't yet to play anyone with any quality up front yet.
4

afcfee added 07:29 - Sep 23 Norwood is deffo not the goal score we need unless get relegated might find his level. Chuffed to get a RB though as Chambers was due a pasting down that side as soon as we faced haf a team.
-3

dirtydingusmagee added 08:08 - Sep 23 good signing imo, just hope he is not another injury prone player, all players get ''knocks'' but we seem to have more than our share of players with recurring long term problems at ITFC.
0

dirtydingusmagee added 08:15 - Sep 23 afcfee,totally agree re Norwood, he has an attitude problem and has not been anything special, can remember people raving on here about him when he signed, he would get us promoted ect, he in the grand scale of things has just been average ,
1

heathen66 added 08:19 - Sep 23 I think this is a very good signing as we are lacking in quality in this area. Unsure how bad Woolfendens injury is, Chambers is not up to playing CB. This leaves Nsiala, Wilson and Ndaba. Hopefully at 6'4" will dominate in the air and coming from Arsenal will definitely know how to pass a football. Welcome Mark !!!
1

floridaboy added 08:40 - Sep 23 Very good signing. Woolfenden on his way before the deadline?
0

oldelsworthyfan added 09:19 - Sep 23 Imagine a back line of KVY, McGuinness, Wolfey and Ward? Or could I be dreaming?
0

oldelsworthyfan added 09:19 - Sep 23 Imagine a back line of KVY, McGuinness, Wolfey and Ward? Or could I be dreaming?
0

Edmundo added 09:41 - Sep 23 All positive: early days, and please don't use this article about McGuiness to knock one of our other players: they need all the support they can get whilst we're not in the stands.
1

BlueSwede added 10:36 - Sep 23 Don't understand why so many put a negative twist on this, immediately thinking we are selling Wolfenden. What I can se might happen is that Ndaba could go out on loan to gain experience. Which is a positive thing. We have been told we are not selling any players unless the price is right and until proven otherwise I chose to believe that. Also pleasing to see that an abitious player who just played against us and know the quality of our team wants to come here and feel it's the right place to come to improve his game in a side he definitely rates highly. And that Arsenal too obviously thinks it's the right club for a young player.

2

dangerous30 added 11:09 - Sep 23 Welcome and good luck 😀👍
0

blues1 added 11:15 - Sep 23 Afcfee. Norwood once got, something he never was last season, and still ended up joint goalscorer with 11 despite missing a large chunk of the season, will score goals. The 2nd part of ur post shows ur lack of knowledge football wise. Ur words," it's good tovdogn a rb". Mcguiness is a cb, and theres no suggestion in the story that he can play rb. As for having a different at chambers? Typical of u and others on here. The guys been excellent do far of this season. Part of a defence that's conceded 1 goal in the 3 games hes played. And that was against a premier league team.

1

blues1 added 11:18 - Sep 23 Dont understand why some think this will mean woolfy leaving? Lamberts even looking for a cb all summer, which is why he was after keogh. Woolfys since that, signed a new contract. I know contracts dont necessarily mean anything but cant see this being anything other than adding to the numbers as hes wanted all summer.
0

Icantbelieveyousaidt added 11:24 - Sep 23 Afcfee - exactly what is your knowledge of football. Have you ever played the game! Managers Mclaren, Cotterill, Calderwood, Davies, Jewell, McCarthey, Hirst and now Lambert have all picked Luke Chambers regularly. You and several others show your utter ignorance of all things football with your continuing sniping. Chambers indeed alluded to it in his recent interview; the same with Toto, Skuse and several others I could mention. To be ignorant is one thing; to make it public on so many occasions is another...

4

Carberry added 11:36 - Sep 23 Is anyone slightly concerned that the quality of our scouting system requires someone to be placed in front of them for 90 minutes to get noticed?
-2

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls