Ipswich Town’s efforts to sign Blackpool defender Curtis Tilt has been a protracted one and after three bids placed, the Lancashire club is standing firm.
Although precise details are not easy to find, it appears that Town initially bid around 500,000 pounds for the player but this was quickly rejected by the Blackpool board who are said to want one million for the player. The Blues then upped their offer to 575,000 but again this was denied by the Lancastrians, who believe that in the current market their player is worth much more than that.
Yesterday, Ipswich put in a third bid for the player, said to be around 700,000 but the Tangerines are yet to accept the offer for the 26-year-old – even though Tilt has since handed in a transfer request in an attempt to free himself from this tiresome football straight jacket. Rumour has it that Ipswich owner Marcus Evans is becoming increasingly exasperated by the intransigence of Blackpool and may shortly pull the plug on the whole thing – unless the mood suddenly changes.
With less than three days to go before the new season kicks off at Portman Road when the Blues entertain Blackburn Rovers, there continues to be a frenzy of activity on the transfer front and which involves a number of different players.
Martyn Waghorn’s proposed move to Derby has apparently fallen through for the moment at least because Matej Vydra was not keen on going to Leeds United, as he considered it to be a backward step and his wage demands helped to scupper a potential deal. This still leaves Tony Pulis and Middlesborough and renewed interest too from Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder. Obviously, the more interested parties there are, the better the chances of Town boosting their bank balance but whatever happens, they are guaranteed to make a sizable profit if he does eventually depart, as he cost the Tractor Boys a mere 200,000 when he left Rangers to come here. Town, however, are also playing hardball and after the Daryl Murphy fiasco, this time they are making sure they have a new striker on board before Waghorn goes!
The clock is certainly ticking now but this is not stopping Ipswich from placing more bids into the melting pot and also on their radar is Accrington Stanley striker Kayden Jackson, having yesterday acquired the services of 24-year old defender Janoi Donacien from the same club. He is on initially a season-long loan but this should be converted into a 750,000 fee, once his work permit has been approved by the Home Office.
And if all this wasn’t enough, manager Paul Hurst’s old club Shrewsbury have confirmed this afternoon that they have turned down a joint-bid for central defender Toto Nsiala and midfielder Jon Nolan and it seems very likely that it is Ipswich who are on the hunt for them! The players have both handed in transfer requests, which suggest they know the man behind these bids and would like to be reunited with Hurst.
So it’s a case of watch this space as the new season approaches with ever-increasing rapidity. As things stand, it is beginning to look as if we might see Maryn Waghorn on bench warming duties once again this weekend after all.
F.W. editor of Vital Ipswich
