IPSWICH Town boss Jim Magilton says his gut feeling is that he will bring in a new striker within the next week as the close of the transfer window looms. Ipswich have been linked with a host of forwards, but as yet nothing has materialised.

IPSWICH Town boss Jim Magilton says his gut feeling is that he will bring in a new striker within the next week as the close of the transfer window looms.

Ipswich have been linked with a host of forwards since the turn of the year, including Wolves' recent £600,000 acquisition Andy Keogh, but as yet nothing has materialised.

Magilton said: “We have been looking up and down the country, but clubs are keeping their cards close to their chest this close to the window.

“Danny (Haynes) and Billy (Clarke) are probably fed up hearing that we are after an extra striker, but I just like to have four strikers in my squad.”

One player who Town have been linked with is former Polish Under-21 international striker Pawel Abbott, who this week moved from Huddersfield to Town's next opponents Swansea in a £125,000 deal.

However Magilton quickly moved to quash such rumours. He said: “He is just another name. It's inevitable that we were going to be linked just because he's a striker. He is a decent player, he has scored goals and he will be an asset for them.”

Abbott, 24, will be available to play at Portman Road after the 6ft2ins goal-getter made his debut as a late sub in Swansea's 2-0 win over Gillingham on Tuesday night.

It is easy to see why Magilton craves an extra option up front, as the ability to shuffle and freshen his forward line could well provide the answer to Town's inability to score early goals in matches.

This season Ipswich have scored just five times within the opening 30 minutes of a match. Magilton said: “We've started games pretty brightly and had we scored early goals in some of our away games I'm sure we would have gone on to take something more from the game. I think when you are on top and you score it gives you that extra bit of confidence to go on and get another one.

“Of course it is something we have talked about, but on the other hand we have come back from going a goal down on a number of occasions and that tells me a lot about my players. It's all swings and roundabouts really.”

Meanwhile Magilton has outlined that although he does not want to lose any of his best players, every man has his price.

Speaking on the escalating rumours surrounding Gavin Williams and Alan Lee's potential departures, Magilton said: “They are not going anywhere at the moment. We don't want to be selling our best players because we are building something here, we are trying to put the foundations down and build an elite squad.”

Magilton added: “If we receive an offer which we think is good, though, then we would consider it. When Gavin is fit and well he is as good as anything in the division and on his day he could probably step up to the Premiership.

“Nothing else would please me more than if we get a good deal for Gavin and he went to go and play in the Premiership. Saying that, we have no offers and we want to keep him here.”