Ipswich Town striker Kieffer Moore has completed his season-long loan switch to Rotherham United, with Blues right-back Josh Emmnanuel set to follow.
Moore, 24, scored in Town’s opening pre-season 5-0 win at Irish side Drogheda United on Saturday, but jetted straight from Dublin to Austria to link up with the League One Millers ahead of their friendly games against Austrian side Floridsdorfer AC tomorrow and Hungarian team Soproni VSE on Saturday.
Blues boss Mick McCarthy confirmed on Saturday that both Moore and 19-year-old right-back Josh Emmanuel will join Rotherham on season-long loans with a January recall option.
There are a few more details to sort out before Emmanuel can complete his switch.
• Is McCarthy right to let Emmanuel and Moore leave on loan? Vote here
Towering striker Moore joined Town in a £10k deal from non-league club Forest Green Rovers back in January and made 11 substitute appearances in the second half of the season.
Essex-raised academy graduate Emmanuel started 11 league games last season and interchanged with Spence during the second half of the campaign after skipper Luke Chambers was restored top his favoured centre-back role.
Moore and Emmanuel were offered to Rotherham as part of a bid for striker Danny Ward recently. Ward decided to join Cardiff, but Norwich-born Millers boss Paul Warne reprised his interest in Town’s duo.
Explaining his decision to let the duo depart temporarily, McCarthy said: “They both need to play games. I don’t want Josh here as a substitute coming on and playing a bit part, he needs to go and play to improve, as does Kieffer.
“Neither of them will start in front of (Jordan) Spence or whoever is playing up front. It’s really important for them to get football.
“We’ve got a break clause in January. Hopefully they are ripping it up by then and we want them back. The only way they are going to get better is by playing. I’ll only bring them back if I’m going to play them.”
• Josh Emmanuel on growing pains, God and gratitude to his parents
The decision to allow Emmanuel to leave is a controversial one given the number one point in owner Marcus Evans’ five-point plan is ‘to provide a significant ongoing financial commitment to the club’s academy, enabling a steady flow of players into the first-team’.
Back in 2013, the Blues made a bold pledge to have 50% of the first team squad made up of homegrown players by 2017.
Tommy Smith, Luke Hyam and Teddy Bishop are established academy graduates, while left-back Myles Kenlock (20) and Andre Dozzell (18) made 16 and seven starts respectively for the first team last season.
Academy teenagers George Fowler, Pat Webber, Tristan Nydam, Flynn Downes, Conor McKendry and Ben Morris all featured in Town’s opening pre-season win at the weekend.
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