MICK McCarthy has not given up hope of adding some loan strength to his improving Ipswich Town team.

The Blues boss has already failed in landing “one or two” temporary additions – his only option until the transfer window reopens in January.

But with Massimo Luongo returning to Tottenham and McCarthy’s hopes of re-signing Richie Wellens from Leicester still up in the air, the manager will spend this week making enquiries as to who is available before next Friday’s deadline.

And while he could go down the experienced route to try and steer Town away from the relegation drop-zone, one name he is rumoured to be considering is Arsenal’s box-to-box midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong.

The 20-year-old last night revealed on Twitter he hoped to go on loan this week with a number of Championship clubs considering a move – and his old loan club Wolves publicly declaring an interest.

In Town’s favour is Frimpong’s known admiration for McCarthy, his manager during a short-lived but promising loan spell at Molineux.

Frimpong, who has only played twice for Arsenal in the Capital One Cup this season, has said in the past that he would be open to a return to Wolves, but sources close to the player suggest this may be because of McCarthy’s influence.

Despite only playing five times for Wolves, the youngster is said to have been hugely impressed with McCarthy’s high-intensity training – while the fact Frimpong was in the Arsenal youth team with current Town star Jay Emmanuel-Thomas may also count in their favour.

McCarthy admitted at the weekend he was keen to extend Wellens’ initial one-month loan deal but Foxes boss Nigel Pearson might scupper those plans as he looks to add experience to his young side, who have not won in four matches.

Ironically, Leicester host Ipswich on Saturday with Pearson considering whether to start Wellens after his seven-game spell with Town.

With Tommy Smith playing for New Zealand in China on Wednesday, McCarthy might also be considering defensive reinforcements – something 63% of fans polled by this newspaper yesterday viewed as a priority in the coming week-and-a-half.

Ipswich currently have six loanees in their squad – Stephen Henderson, Danny Higginbotham, Guirane N’Daw, Bilel Mohsni, DJ Campbell and Daryl Murphy.