Paperwork holds up double signing
IPSWICH Town’s double signing of Premier League duo Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and David Stockdale has been delayed until tomorrow morning.
Blues boss Paul Jewell had hoped to announce both signings today, but due to a hold up with paperwork they will cannot be officially announced as Ipswich players just yet.
Both players have been at Portman Road today and are likely to be in the squad that travels to Essex neighbours Colchester United tomorrow night for Town’s fifth pre-season friendly. Over 1,200 Blues fans have already bought tickets for the match.
Ipswich have agreed a fee of around �1.1m with Arsenal for 20-year-old winger/striker Emmanuel-Thomas, with the skilful 6ft 3in player believed to have chosen a move to Portman Road despite late interest from Championship rivals Burnley.
Fulham keeper Stockdale will join on a season-long loan after Ipswich managed to thrash out a deal with the Cottagers who were keen on inserting a 24-hour recall option.
Swansea and Leeds had also shown interest in the 25-year-old, but Town have won the chase after successfully negotiating all the terms set out by the London club.
The double capture will take manager Paul Jewell’s summer signings to seven following the previous captures of Michael Chopra, Ivar Ingimarsson, Nathan Ellington, Aaron Cresswell and Lee Bowyer.
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And the Blues boss is unlikely to stop here having voiced his disappointment at the way his side performed in pre-season draws against lower league sides Cambridge United (2-2) and Southend (1-1) last week.
The Liverpudlian still wants to add another striker to his squad and has previously revealed that Sheffield United’s Ched Evans is on his radar.
And he has emphasised the importance of signing another centre-back before his side start their Championship season at Bristol City in little under two weeks’ time (August 6).
Town currently have just three senior centre-backs – Damien Delaney, Tommy Smith and Ingimarsson – the latter still to feature in pre-season due to a thigh injury.
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