Ipswich Town transfer target Marley Watkins, has announced he is leaving the Blues’ Championship rivals Barnsley, after rejecting a new contract with the South Yorkshire club.

Blues boss Mick McCarthy is a big admirer of the versatile 26-year-old, who scored against Ipswich in the 1-1 draw between the sides, at Oakwell, in March.

McCarthy is understood to have had two one-million pound-plus offers rejected by the Reds for the former Inverness Caledonian Thistle man in the last two transfer windows, and the Blues boss confirmed in March that he could make a fresh bid this summer.

“We kind of picked up on him when we were doing analysis ahead of the first game of the season. Everything we watched we liked and whenever I’ve seen him since I do like him, yeah,” McCarthy added.

Watkins, who has written an open letter to Barnsley fans on Twitter, joined the Reds two summers ago and won promotion to the Championship with the club in 2016.

In total, the forward, who has also played for Bath, Cheltenham and Hereford, scored 18 goals in 87 games for Barnsley and can play as a striker, or further behind, in midfield and out wide.