Town skipper Sam Morsy has not travelled with the rest of the squad for the pre-season trip to Austria, staying behind to facilitate his move away from the club.

The Egyptian international was spotted around town yesterday with the rest of the first team having flown out for the training camp early in the morning.

Reports over the weekend linked Derby County but also clubs in the Middle East with TWTD revealing a side in Kuwait was interested in signing him.

The EADT is reporting that club to be Kuwait FC, which seems likely to be Kuwait SC, who are based in the capital Kuwait City and are champions of their Premier League.

While the Blues would have demanded a fee from an English club, the Egypt international will be allowed to leave for free to an overseas side with the move being weighed-up by the player and his family.

Morsy, who has a year left on his contract with no new deal on the table, has been a key man in Kieran McKenna’s team since the Blues boss took charge in December 2021 having been signed by Paul Cook, who previously managed him at Chesterfield and Wigan, late in the preceding summer transfer window from Middlesbrough.

However, Wolverhampton-born Morsy found himself on the bench on occasion during the latter stages of 2024/25 and looked set to find himself out of the XI in the season ahead with Town having made the signing of Azor Matusiwa from Rennes, who plays a similar role.

If the move is completed, Dara O’Shea looks certain to take over the captaincy having worn the armband when Morsy was out of the side last season.

Photo: REUTERS/Isabel Infantes

CaptainAhab added 11:00 - Jul 15 Apologies Bazza8654, just accidentally downvoted you! Agree completely with your thoughts. What a servant to the club he's been, really set the standard for all the others who came in after him.
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Suffolkboy added 11:02 - Jul 15 Simply ‘thank you ‘for all your effort,professionalism and leadership ! A wonderful example for others to emulate , WHEREVER football takes you next , you must surely go with the very best wishes from every ITFC supporter , COYB
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bluelad7 added 11:03 - Jul 15 Definitely the linchpin in our two promotions. When we went to Watford and he got the winner and he jogged over to the corner, then stopped and walked like an Emperor towards us going mental in the corner. I could watch that walk over to us 1 million times. Like most on here it would be lovely to hear that he’s got a big money move to somewhere nice and warm he will never be forgotten and certainly deserves the word legend, who knows maybe in a few years time he could come back in some staff capacity.

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bluelad7 added 11:03 - Jul 15 Definitely the linchpin in our two promotions. When we went to Watford and he got the winner and he jogged over to the corner, then stopped and walked like an Emperor towards us going mental in the corner. I could watch that walk over to us 1 million times. Like most on here it would be lovely to hear that he’s got a big money move to somewhere nice and warm he will never be forgotten and certainly deserves the word legend, who knows maybe in a few years time he could come back in some staff capacity.

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Rozeeboy74 added 11:04 - Jul 15 Every single Bet-Builder always had Morsy to get a yellow on it. Great player and will be missed.
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Rsj13 added 11:06 - Jul 15 If this happens, can we arrange a home friendly with the club he signs for so he can get his thoroughly deserved raucous send-off?
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Jbarrrell added 11:12 - Jul 15 Big call for the club this, back it up with quality signings and the blow will be softened
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ashp19 added 11:14 - Jul 15 Has been a fantastic asset to our club, our history, and of course our kingdom!
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Lion added 11:22 - Jul 15 One of the best captains we have ever had, i know that is saying a lot, I love him like everybody else. Let him go to the middle east on a free as a reward for what he's done for the club? Absolutely, he deserves it. Let him go to Derby? Absolutely not!
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trevski_s added 11:24 - Jul 15 If true he has been a brilliant captain and always gave everything to the club. I do agree he looked out of place in the Premier League but was hoping he would see out the final year of his contract with us and then maybe retire once it expires with a coaching role in the future. He would have been more than up for the Championship once again. I believe that O Shea will make a great captain in Morsys absence and im sure that Matusiwa will be a brilliant replacement but Morsy we will miss you. Thank you for everything

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Steelmonkey added 11:41 - Jul 15 I wish you all the best in your next adventure Sam and I thank you for your service, you will be a big miss. You’ve been a great team captain. A footballer’s career is a relatively short one and you must do what’s best for your family. You will always get a great reception her if you visit back. Portman Road will always be your Kingdom Sam Morsy.
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Linkboy13 added 11:42 - Jul 15 Once we signed Matusiwa it was obvious he was on his way. The biggest tribute i can give the great man is that Keiran McKenna couldn't have achieved what he has without him he's been a massive influence. It's going to be a strange feeling when the teams walk out for the first home game of the season that he wont be there.
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IndependentlyBlue added 11:44 - Jul 15 Cookie boy - if the club let him go on a free to Kuwait it strengthens Sam’s hand in contract negotiations with his new club. Given what he’s done for us it’s the least we could do. Deserves as big a payday as he can get. One of our greats
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BlueRuin69 added 11:45 - Jul 15 Incredibly sad news…….
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Tedray added 11:52 - Jul 15 Yes he did very well for us and came at the right time.So well done. However I do not know about legendary status,for having witnessed a midfield of the two dutchmen and John Wark - well they were in another league.
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Jugsy added 11:55 - Jul 15 I thought he'd end up finishing his career with us and becoming a coach, didn't see a scenario where he'd leave. In a lot of ways, i'm pleased McKenna has put the club first and not got sentimental, lots of clubs do and it often doesn't work out. He sets the standard for his leadership in football terms, whilst O'Shea will captain differently, Morsy sets a high bar to meet. I don't expect many to agree with my next point but I know some will - it did dampen my enthusiasm for him when he didn't wear the rainbow armband. I also felt the club did a terrible job of managing it (why not give Chaplin the armband as vice captain and ambassador for the initiative, getting Morsy out of the spotlight?). A bit of mess tbh.

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ImAbeliever added 11:57 - Jul 15 Good luck to the bloke - deserved to be released for his service and outstanding captaincy.
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WhoisJimmyJuan added 11:59 - Jul 15 Wish we could have had some kind of testimonial for him so we can say thank you and farewell. I feel very sad too and have some trepidation about life after Sam. But all good things come to an end I guess. Just hope we manage to replace him. As others have rightly said, probably the single most important player in our recovery from League One
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Town1Inter0 added 12:01 - Jul 15 We need to build a cohesive squad that can go into the PL after promotion at the end of this season, with only a few extra additions. Unfortunately based on many of Sam's performances last season, with a heavy heart, he needs to move on. Wishing him and his family all the best with his next move. He'll be back as a legend or member of the coaching staff I expect.
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bobble added 12:12 - Jul 15 Maybe the whole team will stand up for gay rights this year then,,,
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RobsonWark added 12:16 - Jul 15 Morsy was a great captain. Here, there and everywhere on the pitch. He will be greatly missed. I just hope that this doesn't mean that Jack Taylor will get more game time.
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darkhorse28 added 12:17 - Jul 15 It’s probably the right decision. No player has ever deserved a ‘free’ and big pay day more than Sam… not just for what he’s done for us, but his entire career. We can replace the 34 year old player. But those professional and leadership skills, they are rarer than rocking horse droppings, the hardest to find skill set in football. The number of times he stripped the emotion and disappointment out of situations, in game, grabbed the entire group by scruff on the neck, and turned adversity into points on the board .., game after game after game. Running towards adversity is a cliche.., it means nothing without action.., Sam brought those words to life. He was our walking talking ‘team dynamic’ he is our winning culture, our refusal to accept second best. He’s the definition of ‘leader’ on and off the pitch. And technically nobody has his level of spacial awareness, the number of times he ‘looks after’ passion with three players around his ankles. Second to none in that department. He started all our attacks by leaving the opposition a player short. He’s earned the financial security he’ll get ten fold. All the best ‘king’ and thanks for the commitment and memories…, in another universe you got to the premier league three years younger and you bossed that too. You sacrificed any chance of that, to drag us from league one to the promised land, nobody contributed more, or sacrificed more. Onwards.

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algarvefan added 12:18 - Jul 15 If true, a sad day for Town, but life is always moving on and if he is collecting a bigger pay day for his family, who he obviously loves, then good for him. He has been a great leader, who led by example, but time to rebuild is now. We will see what transpires in the transfer market, but he will be a tough one to replace.
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Runner added 12:30 - Jul 15 Ditto to every comment above.
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orfordbuoy added 12:49 - Jul 15 way off the pace last season - not the only one mind.
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