Since 2019 he has made just four substitute appearances for Town and not scored. The price tag of 500,000 is based almost entirely on his spell at Swindon, where he scored 11 goals in 30 appearances, and the former rugby player seems happy to leave.
Some might say that Ipswich should have given him more game time and not recalled him from his season-long loan deal with the Wiltshire club. Town’s CEO Mark Ashton felt that Tyreece Simpson’s agent was to blame for the deadlock which ensued, and meant he would not be signing a new contract with the club – instead putting in a transfer request and this prevented him from completing his loan with Swindon.
“It’s wrong of me to talk about any individual player’s contract, but one thing I can promise our supporter base is that I will fight tooth and nail for this football club. This football club will not in any shape or form be agent or representative-led. That doesn’t work for me, and it won’t work for this ownership group,” Ashton explained.
So then, what are your views on the subject? I think if the Blues get 500,000 for a relatively unproven striker who scored all his goals in the league below, then this is an excellent deal. Manager Kieran McKenna can use some of this windfall to acquire another forward – which, I still believe, we will need as the season progresses. Huddersfield Town might be the perfect fit for Simpson too, and it is about time we stood up to these agents who are sucking the lifeblood out of the game we love.
Mark Ashton is no mug. He knows that a lot of these unscrupulous agents are cut-throat mercenaries with little regard for the welfare of the player or the club. On this subject, Ashton was very forthright. “It’s a tough world with agents at times, but our job is to protect this football club. And if we don’t show strength at certain times, trust me, our football club will get walked all over. I’ve seen it time and time again.” So very true.
