Crystal Palace are showing serious interest in Town midfielder Flynn Downes and he could be the first of many to find the exit door. The Premier League side has been monitoring his progress for some months and their sporting director Dougie Freedman was seen observing Town’s 2-1 defeat at Blackpool in February.
The 21-year-old has been with the Blues since he was seven and has shown a real desire – along with Luke Woofenden, to finish what they started and help Ipswich Town get back into the Championship. The reality, of course, is different. Money talks and at the right price – or even the wrong price, owner Marcus Evans will take the money and run. He will abandon his five-point plan to reduce the debts he has incurred due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
This is a sad reflection of the modern game. We simply cannot compete with the big guns in English football and even a club the size of Palace has too much clout. The 21-year-old is contracted to the Blues until the summer of 2022 with Town having an option for a further season, and the Blues would be wise to extend his contract further still and ensure we get a reasonable price for a player who is improving year on year.
Ipswich Town’s general manager of football operations, Lee O’Neill does not consider this to be a top priority, but if he is not careful Downes will leave cheaply and I will point the finger of blame clearly in his direction. I fear that we will lose more than just the talented Downes and if we do, then it will call for another big reshuffle before the new season commences in mid-September.
Watch this space. Woolfenden, Dobra, and Kane Vincent-Young could also be joining Downes shortly – unless Evans stands strong. If he is a man of principle then here is his chance to prove it. Principles in life can be expensive but without them, life is very cheap.
