Ipswich Town boss Mick McCarthy has dropped the biggest hint yet that Aaron Cresswell will be sold this summer.

The Liverpudlian was recently named in the Championship Team of the Year by his peers and among the top 10 players in the division by its managers.

A number of Premier League scouts have been at Portman Road to keep tabs on the former Tranmere player’s progress, with Southampton understood to have lined him up as a potential replacement for England international Luke Shaw.

And McCarthy, who has constantly described the 24-year-old as ‘the best left-back in the league’ this season, now admits he has a big decision to make ahead of the transfer window opening again – especially as it looks as though he will have to sell in order to boost a shoestring budget imposed by owner Marcus Evans.

“We’ll see what happens in the summer with Cressy,” said the Blues boss. “All the talk and speculation is starting again.

“He deserves to play in the Premier League. Bizarrely enough, if he doesn’t, then we could ruin two left-backs.

“If he stays in this division for another season he might start thinking it’s another opportunity missed. And if he stays in the league for another season then Tyrone Mings doesn’t play and that will be counter-productive for him.

“You know what I think of Ty, he’s a really good player.

“It’s a real balancing act for the summer.”

It was former Blues boss Paul Jewell who signed Cresswell from League One side Tranmere in the summer of 2011, a Football League tribunal setting an initial transfer fee of £240,000.

Town have since paid £180,000 more in add-on fees, with Cresswell having started all but eight of the 145 games he has been available for.

The Blues will have to pay Tranmere 20% of any profit they make on the defender.

Cresswell was named Supporters’ Player of the Year after his superb debut campaign, but he didn’t feature in the top four this time around.

McCarthy has heaped praise on Mings since his smooth transition from non-league club Chippenham Town less than 18 months ago. The towering 21-year-old has started just five games for the Blues, but never looked out of place at Championship level.