NO bad apples will be brought into Ipswich Town this summer.

That’s the message from chief scout Dave Bowman as he today lifts the lid on the depths that he and his team will go to find the players to finally take the club forward following nearly a decade of stagnation.

In an exclusive interview with the EADT, the man who – along with Ian ‘Taff’ Evans – has forged a telepathic triumvirate alongside Mick McCarthy for more than two decades, said: “We try to find out all about the guys before we sign them.

“We do due diligence on them because you have to do that with big investments. We try and run the football club like a family and you need to know that any new additions will fit into your family.

“At previous clubs we’ve actually gone to areas and spent one or two nights asking around to see what certain players got up to. We speak to police, people in pubs and clubs. You get to find things out and it pays off.

“There’s two or three that we’ve thought may be good additions that we’ve decided against because of that.”

Having all met at Barnsley in the late 1970s, Bowman and Evans have become loyal sidekicks to McCarthy at Millwall, the Republic of Ireland, Sunderland and Wolves.

The trio can boast an excellent record in the transfer market, with lower league gems have been turned into Premier League stars and big money signings having turned an even bigger profit.

And with several Blues players coming to the end of their contracts or loan spells, McCarthy – currently battling to keep his inherited team in the Championship – will need his trusted advisors more than ever as he looks to build his own squad this summer.

See today’s EADT for a two-page feature looking at:

– The working relationship between McCarthy and Bowman, Evans and Steve McCall;

– The type of player the Blues are searching for;

– Where in the UK and Europe the Blues are casting their net;

– Bowman’s unique link with sports brand Nike;

- And why Town will be more prepared for Financial Fair Play rules than most.

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