IPSWICH Town fans will be reassured to know that the club are to receive a realistic fee for the sale of 19-year-old striker Jordan Rhodes.

Elvin King

IPSWICH Town fans will be reassured to know that the club are to receive a realistic fee for the sale of 19-year-old striker Jordan Rhodes.

Sources in the north have confirmed that the Blues are to receive around �850,000 from League One Huddersfield Town for the accomplished finisher - once all the expected add-ons have been paid.

It is reported that the Terriers had an original offer of �650,000 turned down by Ipswich, but a higher bid was then accepted.

Getting close to �1million for an unproven teenager is a tidy sum and one that Ipswich cannot be criticised for accepting.

If it had been around �250,000 (with no guarantee of add-ons) Town supporters would have every right to question the deal, even though manager Roy Keane has explained the necessity for him to wheel and deal in the transfer market.

Ipswich's acceptance for the officially undisclosed transfer fee to be publicly featured at �250,000 is no doubt to help ward off 'over the top' price tags being quoted for players Keane is keen to bring to the club.

With the ownership of mega-wealthy Marcus Evans, the Blues are already considered a 'moneybags' club with fees in danger of being inflated when Keane makes an enquiry.

Midfielder Veliche Shumulikoski is set to finalise his �400,000 move to Preston this week. Talks resumed today with a pay-off agreement from Ipswich over the remaining year of Shmui's Blues contract a possible sticking point.

The Macedonian international passed a medical at Deepdale last week and the delay since has been caused by his agent going back to the Balkans.

Preston have signed midfielder Paul Parry from Cardiff and are confident they can soon make it a double signing.

Matt Richards, one of the 13 players released by Ipswich Town at the end of last season, has signed a two-year deal at League One Walsall.

Saddlers manager Chris Hutchings said of the 24-year-old former England Under-21 international who made over 150 appearances for the Blues: “Matt is an accomplished player. He comes here at the right age and has good experience at the higher level.

“He can play wide left or in the middle and will add calmness to the side. As a natural left-footer he gives us nice balance and is a footballer of undoubted ability.”

Reports in London suggest that 20-year-old Mexican international Giovani Dos Santos could be interesting Town. He came on loan from Tottenham at the end of last season and made eight appearances and scored four goals.

Spurs manager Harry Redknapp is said to be keen on the forward-thinking midfielder being sold to a Spanish club, but if not he could be interested in arranging a season-long loan in this country.