Town boss Kieran McKenna has confirmed that central defender Luke Woolfenden wants to leave the club and could move on before Monday’s 7pm deadline.

The 26-year-old, who signed a new contract which runs to the summer of 2027 with an option for a further year in January, looks unlikely to play regularly this season with skipper Dara O’Shea in his right-sided central defensive role.

Rumours have circulated all summer that the academy product wanted to move on with Watford, Coventry and Stoke City understood to be interested.

A move looked less with the Blues’ proposed move for Club America’s Uruguayan international Sebastian Caceres having broken down, but McKenna says Woolfenden, who is from Chantry, could be among those to depart on deadline day.

“Luke’s made it clear for quite a while that he wants to go, so we’ll see what that situation ends up in,” he told BBC Radio Suffolk.

Town have 30 players who qualify for their 25-man squad. Conor Townsend won’t be registered as he’s out for the season with an ACL injury, while Elkan Baggott seems certain to move out on loan.

McKenna revealed at his post-match press conference that Chieo Ogbene could also go on loan, while Ali Al-Hamadi, Harry Clarke and Cameron Humphreys are others who may make moves.

Photo: Matchday Images

itfc2024 added 21:08 - Aug 30 I don't blame wolfy wanting to leave when u see the 2 cart horses in front of him making mistake after mistake and still don't get a chance I wish him the best hope he find a new club who's respect him unlike mckenna
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Mark added 21:11 - Aug 30 So has he handed in a formal transfer request in that case? I am not sure the Greaves-O'Shea pairing is looking £30m better than the Burgess-Woolfenden partnership, so I understand Luke being unhappy about not playing. The team getting knocked out of the Carabao Cup so easily did not help him though.
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Bluewhiteboy added 21:20 - Aug 30 As said he has been replaced for players no better and arguably worse. Only playing in front as paid crazy money for and prob both on packet. Will end up playing for a team that finishes higher than us
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Len_Brennan added 21:20 - Aug 30 Surely Humphreys will have to stay as part of the 25 man squad; with Woolfenden almost certainly going now, we won't have any 'homegrown' players left otherwise. Unless Fin Barbrook is kept around, but surely a good loan is necessary for him this season.
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itfc2024 added 21:24 - Aug 30 mckenna ripping the sole out the club signing players no better than what's here already palmer no better than walton Johnson no better than h Clarke Greaves and o shea no better than wolfy and burgess philogene no better than burns intact worse Clarke I think would be good if aloud to play
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chepstowblue added 21:24 - Aug 30 There is almost no connection to the team that got us promoted two seasons ago. And whilst a bucket load of cash has been spent, we are currently worse than we were back then. I'm finding it hard to 'trust the process' nowadays. Our best centre half is now at Swansea and the X-factor players have been snapped up. Tough times.
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IP9 added 21:32 - Aug 30 Love you Wolfy. Thanks for everything in an Ipswich Town shirt! From the dark days of Shambert to a Double Promotion winning CB mainstay. I class him as much of a legend as Morsy, a local lad done extremely well and lived our dreams.
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cooper4england added 21:33 - Aug 30 What sort of mouth breather spells allowed, aloud.
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Pettabelieveit added 21:36 - Aug 30 Can’t call for incomings if you can’t accept the outgoings. Home grown or not, club comes first
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Portman51 added 22:09 - Aug 30 Greaves and O'Shea certainly no better than Wolfenden and Burgess, as the two Derby goals today illustrated. I have always felt Burgess was hugely underrated, and Woolfy just hasn't had a fair crack, so can quite understand him seeking a move.
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ArnieM added 22:11 - Aug 30 Ashton is spending money like water ( just like he did at Bristol until they were broke then he moved on). ...... to Ipswich. No one at the club above Ashton now so he's unrestrained in his Ashton World. The club now has revolving doors fir players in, out, in,out,in,out...spend...spend...spend, with money seemingly no object . We might have players ( arguably) of better quality but we have NO TEAM. They play like strangers, dusjointed, shoe horned into the managers only bloody tactic.... ar Have we become the Chelsea of the Championship?

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Gforce added 22:11 - Aug 30 Hope we've got a replacement lined up if he is allowed to leave. An injury to Greaves or O'Shea would leave us pretty light.
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Lennie added 22:19 - Aug 30 Woolfy is a classy defender but not the style which suits KMK system… he can’t afford another season waiting for injuries or suspensions to give him a few games. Will thrive elsewhere so makes sense for him to move on… will leave us thin for cover but hopefully we can keep Baggott motivated … it could be his time. Sadly the squad system and the aspirations of talented young players do not always match up and it means some good players will leave to further their dreams (Delap, Hutchinson, Woolfy… there will no others) … don’t blame them be pleased we had them here and we have helped them on their journey

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WalkRules added 22:46 - Aug 30 We have to remember rhat the team in the Pl was not good enough for the PL and had to change. As PettaBelieveIt said - you cannot keep everybody. Im just waiting to see if this team is better than that team though.
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MVBlue added 22:59 - Aug 30 Nooo Wolfy
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Tractorboy58 added 23:08 - Aug 30 I really think Mckenna has a MASSIVE job trying to build a TEAM from this multi million pounds collection of newcomers .. hope it comes good but still to be convinced
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ldnj added 23:19 - Aug 30 Not a surprise, when people bought in will get to play every week because as they had fees paid they must be 'better". Disappointing to see a defender who wants to pass forward leave. Good luck to him if he goes somewhere else.
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Tellitasitis added 23:38 - Aug 30 My thoughts. I have said for a long time now modern football bores the tears out of me. Just because everyone sndchis dog are trying to play that way does not mean we have to. Back in league 1 and the championship we were playing free flowing football with no fear then all of a sudden we get the ball on the wings with 2 x 20 million pound wingers and all they want to do is play backwards so we can get the ball back to o'shea to start again. Today we had young at fullback crossing the ball into our own box in injury time because mordern football says you can't just clear your lines nowadays. The worrying thing for me is the players Mckenna has got in none really have done much. Don't get me wrong for what Mckenna has done to this club he has built up more then enough credit to have a bad season (top 10) and still be in charge next season but I believe he needs to look back at few years to when we played a style of football where we.made other.teams worry about us rather then this modern boring football.

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Gr33ngr455 added 23:52 - Aug 30 You have to give the team a chance to gel, and get in sync with each other.There is a lot of players who are new to the club and they don’t really know each other yet or Mckennas playing style. Most are good players, and it won’t be the end of the world if we don’t get promoted this season, as we would not be able to cope with the Premiership as we won’t be ready. We have bought some exciting players you have to give them a chance. Have faith in the manager he knows what he is doing.

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trevski_s added 00:23 - Aug 31 Will be a shame to see Woolfy go but he needs to be playing at his age. With Woolfy going would it not be wise to keep hold of Baggott in case we need the backup? Unless of course another deal is in the works. I know we also have Furlong now who can play center but I thought he would be used more on the fullback positions (especially with Townsend out and Clarke does get loaned out). My thoughts to reduce the squad limit down to 25 are to either loan out or sell AAH and Taylor (would rather keep Humphreys) along with the confirmed attempts to move out Woolfy and Ogbene and then Townsend not getting registered

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armchaircritic59 added 01:01 - Aug 31 I'm not one for criticising unnecessarily, but I think LW has not been treated that well for the last 12 months. Whenever I've seen him play, he's seldom let anyone down. He must be regretting signing that contract extension. I hope it all works out well for him, he deserves to be playing regularly in the Championship at the very least.
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tractordamage added 05:23 - Aug 31 Woolfy: "I need to play boss. And I'd like to get out of my hometown to explore the world, like many people do...to improve themselves". KM: "Sure fella. I understand. We'll find a solution. We just need you to be patient while we find another 'you'." Woolfy: "Thanks Boss. Don't take too long though...or some TWTD posters will self-manufacture Outrage, and make up stories in their heads". ;-) Probably one more signing to go then. A quality CB.

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SpiritOfJohn added 06:53 - Aug 31 O'Shea is generally reliable, but yesterday was the worst performance I've seen from him, as he was bullied by Derby's number 9. However, as captain he is now undroppable, otherwise we would have seen Kipré brought on as a sub. McKenna used to rotate the centre backs depending on the opposition's strengths but that is clearly not happening now, so I don't blame Woolfy for wanting to leave. Our defending was poor yesterday, and cost us 2 points, but none of those guys will be dropped.

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arnoldmuhrensleftpeg added 06:57 - Aug 31 I am going to be controversial here, but Woolfy, for all his "local hero" tag, cant head the ball and is preponderously slow on it, he would be better off converting to a right back
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oldtimer3 added 07:27 - Aug 31 The backbone of a successful team was playing youngsters from the youth team. Regularly! Sir Bobby did and at least 6 of them played for their country. We have a statute of one outside the stadium! Anyway good luck Woolfy enjoy the rest of your football with club that appreciates you!
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