Former loan favourite Jonny Williams could be set for a second temporary spell at Ipswich Town, while a deal for free agent Jack Collison could be completed next week.

Williams spent a successful loan spell in Suffolk last season and the EADT understands that preliminary discussions between Town and the midfielder’s parent club, Crystal Palace, were held on Monday evening.

The Eagles’ £7m swoop for Wigan’s James McArthur could shove the 20-year-old further down the Selhurst Park pecking order.

However, because of his age, Williams can be used at any stage in the Premier League and does not have to be part of the South London club’s 25-man squad.

Ironically, Palace were keen on taking Blues defender Tyrone Mings during the transfer window, but baulked at his valuation, while there was no suggestion Williams was offered permanently to Town.

As for Collison, the former West Ham midfielder played 90 minutes for the Blues’ under-21s against their Sheffield Wednesday counterparts on Monday and was set to hold talks with McCarthy after the game.

Meanwhile, McCarthy has expressed his delight after retaining the services of Mings, and star striker David McGoldrick, the latter being the subject of two bids from Leicester City – the highest thought to be around £7m.

On McGoldrick, McCarthy said: “Marcus (Evans) did not want to let it happen, but what stage it got to, I am not quite sure.”

He added: “I was asked the question, ‘has he asked to leave?’

“That wasn’t the case, but I did say that all our heads would be turned by a Premier League club and Didzy was the same.

“He would like to do that (play in Premier League). Whether he can do that with Ipswich, who knows?

“He has always been up for a fight, he has been a great player since he came and I expect he will continue just the same.

“There might be a tinge of disappointment to start with but we have to get on with it don’t we?”

Commenting on Mings, McCarthy added: “I am not sure what the bid was or where it got to, but I said all along I wasn’t interested in losing him and we had already discussed the certainty of giving him a new contract because he got in the team and has done so well.”