Ipswich Town owner Marcus Evans has sought advice from Peterborough director of football Barry Fry as he looks to kick-start the Blues’ summer transfer activity.

East Anglian Daily Times: Barry Fry, pictured with former Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy, has been speaking with Blues owner Marcus Evans. Picture: PAGEPIXBarry Fry, pictured with former Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy, has been speaking with Blues owner Marcus Evans. Picture: PAGEPIX (Image: Pagepix Ltd 07976 935738)

It’s been a summer of change at Peterborough, in which eight players have arrived and six departed so far, while the Blues have yet to make a signing following the appointment of new manager Paul Hurst at the end of May.

Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony revealed on Twitter that Evans and his director of football have spoken but, despite Ipswich being linked with a move for winger Gwion Edwards earlier this summer, Fry insists Evans simply wanted to pick his brain rather than enquire about any of his players.

“Marcus rang me because he’d noticed I’d done more deals in and out than everybody else in the country – we’ve got eight in and got rid of six,” Fry said.

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“Nobody has done that amount of business.

“He rang me and said ‘you’re doing all this business but I’m finding it tough because people want bigger fees, players want bigger wages and agents want a bigger cut’. I told him nothing changes from the Championship down to us, where last year it went up a bit and then this year the same.

“He was just asking how I had done so much business. The window shuts early this year and our manager (Steve Evans) wants all the players in for pre-season because we want them all to get to know each other.

“Marcus never asked about any of our players.”

East Anglian Daily Times: Peterborough United Chairman Darragh MacAnthony (left) and director of football Barry Fry. Picture: PAPeterborough United Chairman Darragh MacAnthony (left) and director of football Barry Fry. Picture: PA (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

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Evans and Fry have a good relationship, dating back to the summer of 2012 when Paul Taylor moved between the two clubs for £1.5m.

Former Posh, Birmingham and Barnet manager Fry feels as if he owes Evans, after Taylor made just seven league starts in four seasons as an Ipswich player, with much of that time spent either out of the first-team picture or away from the club on loan.

“I have a great relationship with Marcus – obviously he signed Paul Taylor off me (August 2012) and it didn’t work out. George Boyd was signing at the same time and Marcus’s manager at the time, Paul Jewell, chose the wrong one to go overboard on.

“Obviously Paul Taylor was a disaster for Ipswich, whereas George Boyd went to Hull, helped them get promoted to the Premier League and played 200 top flight games. He had George Boyd in the building and he should have signed him.

“Since then I’ve felt I’ve owed Marcus one because his manager chose the wrong player.”

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Evans did ask Fry’s opinion of two League One players, though, while also discussing former Ipswich striker Jack Marriott, who was released in 2015 but could move on in a multi-million pound deal this summer following his 33-goal campaign for Posh.

East Anglian Daily Times: Ipswich Town have yet to make the first signing of the Paul Hurst era. Picture: PAIpswich Town have yet to make the first signing of the Paul Hurst era. Picture: PA (Image: � Copyright Stephen Waller)

Fry said: “While he was on he asked about another couple of players in our division in a couple of positions – not Peterborough United players I might add – and asked for my opinion. We had a private conversation about that.

“Then we talked about Jack Marriott, of course, because he used to be at Ipswich and that’s a sore point with him at the minute.”

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The Blues were linked with a move for Welshman Edwards earlier this summer, with the 25-year-old winger scoring 16 goals for Peterborough in two seasons since his move from Crawley in 2016. Nottingham Forest and Bristol City were also said to be interested, with Posh turning down one offer from a Championship club already this summer.

East Anglian Daily Times: Fry says he feels he owes Evans after the Blues move for Paul Taylor in 2012. Picture: ArchantFry says he feels he owes Evans after the Blues move for Paul Taylor in 2012. Picture: Archant (Image: Archant)

Marcus Maddison is another Peterborough wide player interesting Championship clubs this summer but, unlike Edwards, the 24-year-old has a release clause likely to be well beyond what the Blues would be willing to pay.