Results of Vital Ipswich poll on the future of loanees Jimmy Bullard and Kieron Dyer
Jimmy Bullard and Kieron Dyer are both set to leave Ipswich Town in the next couple of months. This week, Vital Ipswich has been asking you whether you think the Blues should look to sign this pair of ‘loan rangers’ on a permanent basis in the summer.
Hull City midfielder Bullard joined Town in the January transfer window and has made a significant impact, capping some excellent performances with stunning goals. The 32-year-old has netted 4 times for the Blues in 10 appearances, including a 25-yard free kick against Scunthorpe United on Saturday. With two years yet to run on his £45,000-a-week contract at the KC Stadium however, prising Bullard away from the Tigers could prove a tough task.
Meanwhile it’s been just over a week since Dyer, also 32, came back to Ipswich for the first time in 12 years on a month’s loan from West Ham United. By comparison, Dyer has yet to make much of an impression having played just 114 minutes of Town’s last three matches. Even so, the fans have welcomed his long-awaited return to Portman Road and hopes remain that he can rediscover the kind of form that saw his career first take off with the Blues. Signing him permanently might not be too difficult with his contract at Upton Park running out in the summer, but he would need to take an even more significant pay cut than Bullard, with Dyer currently thought to be on £83,000 per week.
Vital Ipswich therefore decided to ask Town fans whether you thought manager Paul Jewell should look to sign Bullard and Dyer permanently in the summer. Here’s what you said:
8% – Bullard yes, Dyer no
3% – Dyer yes, Bullard no
57% – Both of them
32% – Neither of them
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A bit of an ‘all or nothing’ look to the response here. The overwhelming majority would be in favour of both players being kept on a permanent basis, though nearly a third feel that neither are worth bothering with. That may be due to the cost of trying to sign the pair, who are both in their 30s yet would likely have significant wage demands – and in Bullard’s case, there would also be a considerable transfer fee involved in trying to persuade Hull to let him leave. If Town can’t secure the two of them together, it seems Bullard would be the preferred option of the two, which is no small surprise given his impact during his loan spell.
Jewell has said that he is already considering several targets for the summer transfer window, though it is still unknown whether the Blues boss has any plans to sign either Bullard or Dyer permanently. However, Town will need quality and experience in the side if they are to launch a promotion campaign next season, and they might yet find that they already have what they’re looking for.
This week’s poll: ‘How would you feel if Ipswich received a £10 million bid for Connor Wickham this summer?’ (See right-hand column to place your vote)
What do you think of the performances of Jimmy Bullard and Kieron Dyer at Town this season? Should we try and keep them, or would money be better spent elsewhere? Share your views using the comment box below.
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