Striker Freddie Sears is being linked with a return to his old club Colchester United.

Sears joined the Blues from the U’s in January 2015 and, according to the Colchester Gazette, the League Two club are keen to bring him back to the JobServe Community Stadium.

The 31-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season, although with the Blues having an option for a further season.

Sears was left out of the 18 on Saturday having recovered from the hamstring injury which had kept him out of action prior to Town's unexpected Christmas break due to positive Covid-19 tests. However, we understand no deal has been done or is close to being done and any interest is in its early stages.

While the Blues are looking to offload senior players in order to add to their squad during January, Colchester might have trouble persuading Sears to move to League Two with the striker having said in September that he believes he can still play higher than League One.

“I know what I can do in this league,” he said after scoring twice in Town’s opening day 3-0 Carabao Cup victory over Bristol Rovers. “If I’m honest I think I’m too good for this league, I’ve been there before, I did it with Colchester.”

The U’s are looking for strikers with Luke Norris having moved to Stevenage last week. Manager Steve Ball said: "There's very much scope for us to bring someone in to replace Luke.

"There's a process in place where when we know that people might be leaving or there are potential sales of players, we've got things in place ready to go and that's something which our team have worked hard on, to have that in place to act.

"We're at that moment now to make the right choice and we have obviously have targets we want to have a look at. We will do that, as we move through the window.

"There are discussions taking place right now and that's happening every day with clubs, agents and the players themselves.

"Those things are moving and once it's agreed and we can press the button on it, then I'm sure we will.”

Sears has made 146 starts and 55 sub appearances for the Blues, scoring 34 times. This season the former West Ham youngster has made 11 starts and has scored three times.

Photo: Matchday Images

MonkeyAlan added 13:13 - Jan 11 Never given a decent run in his proper position from day one here.
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multiplescoregasms added 13:20 - Jan 11 I imagine Freddie is one of the higher paid players, but I hope this is all just paper talk. Play him in his position and he will do well. Besides, there is a lot of dross I would be looking to offload before Freddie, unless of course he wants to go. Of course, it all depends on where the new manager sees him in his plans :-)
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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 13:23 - Jan 11 Personally feel he's best suited to playing in a front two with someone like Hawkins . Always tries hard but to be fair to him has spent the majority of his career here as a wide man .
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Cakeman added 13:40 - Jan 11 Good honest professional but we are unlikely to see any improvement or change at his age. If he does go I hope several others follow as we need a big clear out.
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ChrisFelix added 13:54 - Jan 11 Shame his time at Ipswich hasnt been sucessful. But very few of our recent signings have come off. Mings & Murphy being the exceptions
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ringwoodblue added 14:12 - Jan 11 Have always liked Freddie and if a new manager came in, I think he is still capable of scoring goals but under Lambo, his best option is to go elsewhere I'm afraid.
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hogster1970 added 14:18 - Jan 11 well another example of a decent player ruined buy being played out of postion, as mick mills says FS has 2 postions upfront as a 2 or on the bench. murphy through out his carree was played wide left and struggled, as soon as MM played hime alongside Didzy or FS he bagged 27goals and the other 2 also reeped from his assists. darren bent was electric playing alongside kugi as kugi held the ball up and fed DB, play a player to his strengths esp strikers and they will score. look what happened to bent at charlton they fed hime and he banged goals for fun, soon as he went to spurs he was poor as they didnt play to his strengths and feed him with through balls to chase. david johnson was no different when he was here or when at forrest, he got fed with through balls and his pace and finish ended up bagging in goals. so you see there is a patern. play the likes of FS or KJ alongside some one like drinan or oli as a 2 and both can score and use there pace but it needs decent through balls from midfield or hold up play from the bigger striker. its not rocket science although modern managers of a certain ilk like MM lambo pulis ect have a way of playing and thats it they cant and wont adapt and shoe horn players in willy nilly and wonder why it dont work. you dont get a machanic to spray a car and you dont get a panel beater to rebuild engines. but both work in the car trade.

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Michael101 added 14:30 - Jan 11 Take a look at transfers.com according to them Ipswich have 18players out of contract in June + 2loan players ,out of all of them who would we want to keep?? 5-6 at most.assuming they would want to stay.
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blues1 added 14:30 - Jan 11 People keep going on about him not playing in his right position. But even when he has played up front hes not done it, since his injury. And a tually, he played many of his games at west ham, as a wide man, so to say it's not his position isnt totally true. So, it has to be take into account, that if we want to sign anyone this window, then one, if not more players need to leave. So getting one of our higher earners off the wage bill would help. If he does go, i wish him luck. As many said, regardless of his performances, you cant doubt his work rate or determination.

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muhrensleftfoot added 14:48 - Jan 11 Looked great when he first joined us, playing alongside Murphy. That is his position. Not out wide as both MM and PL keep playing him. No wonder he's not the same player anymore. With Lambert he has no chance of being in a front 2, as Lambert just won't do that, so he may as well go to Colchester. Oh how we ruined a top quality Championship player!
3

stiff_talking added 14:58 - Jan 11 Buzby blue spot on
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brendenward35 added 15:00 - Jan 11 Freddie has scored some great goals in his time and I for one think he has a lot to prove when played in the right position. I rate him higher than Jackson works his socks off and has a good shot in him. Look at Jackson at the weekend played out of position and how good was he pretty poor from what I saw. Same has happened to Freddie and I really feel for the guy. I hope he scored a bagful for Colchester and PL is proved wrong. Good luck Freddie all the best for the future

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Len_Brennan added 15:08 - Jan 11 That's a very revealing post Linkboy. Perhaps the fact that you don't actually watch games or pay attention to what's happening; instead relying on questionable stats well after the events, lead you to miss Sears's 23 goals during the 2014/15 (14 with Colchester & 9 with us IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP). These are the kinds of nuances you miss out on when looking at some stats without any context or wider understanding of what you are actually seeing. Useful to know.

4

1RWR added 15:40 - Jan 11 Whether you want the guy to go or not, have some respect for the man & leave the insults out of it please.
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terryf added 16:22 - Jan 11 Had a decent partnership with Murphy early doors, but that apart has been a big disappointment. Never really suited the left wing slot and this season like many others has shown lots of running but no end product. If we are looking to bring in a left sided player he maybe surplus to requirements.
0

therein61 added 16:28 - Jan 11 I really feel since he's been here he has always tried to put in an honest shift being effed about position wise(yes he went several games without a goal but his confidence was wrecked by indecision off the park)hasn't helped but he has always without complaint(unlike some) done his best in a blue shirt! if he goes i wish him well i wonder if Colchester would take 4&8 as well but i don't think they are that daft.

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drewcudders1963 added 16:38 - Jan 11 Played up front for a number of games in a front 2 he will score goals. Works best off someone like Norwood computing for ball and he work of the knock downs
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tractorboybig added 16:57 - Jan 11 if he was played as a striker he would of excelled. the best player we have and good luck to him after all he is leaving the dross behind
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Gforce added 17:13 - Jan 11 If true 1 down 9 to go
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Linkboy13 added 17:36 - Jan 11 That's an amazing goal scoring record Len Brennan you should check your facts properly 14 goals for Colchester is good but that doesn't count 9 goals is about as good as it got for us 187 games and 32 goals hardly prolific. Im not saying he's a bad player he's just not a prolific goal scorer. In fact one season he went over 30 games without scoring so McCarthy had to find him another role in the team and he done quite well. People on here give me negative marks because they can't prove there argument doesn't bother me.

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Buryblue78 added 17:49 - Jan 11 Freddie like many others at this level tends to be good at one thing and poor at others Not for the lack of effort imo back the last 5 years have been difficult for him I believe MM started this downward spiral by playing midfielders directly in front of our inept centre backs leaving 1 up top Murphy could handle that but none of our current strikers can He was and could be a good striker with a partner to play off I'd put Jackson in a similar category as Sears I'd say the same about Drinan who looked isolated Saturday and Hawkins too Most on here see that all 4 of our forwards would be better with help from a partner to compliment them Lambert wants to play one way and one way only This way only suits some of our squad It's also easy for opposition to work out a counter Still it's easy from here as a keyboard warrior!

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oldegold added 08:05 - Jan 12 Has been a good player for us in these 6 years and one I would certainly still keep...I can think of lesser players I would let go. We have never got the best out of him I feel but is still capable of offering some quality
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