Ipswich Town boss Mick McCarthy has reiterated that the Championship promotion-chasing club will not be selling any of their key players before the January transfer window closes.

Left-back Tyrone Mings has been linked heavily with Arsenal, while teenage midfielder Teddy Bishop is reportedly attracting the attentions of Liverpool, but McCarthy says – despite several Premier League club scouts being regulars at portman Road – he has received no bids.

Asked if his message about key players not being for sale was still the case, the Blues boss sarcastically replied: “No, they’re all for sale! Bish is going to Man United, Ty’s going to Arsenal, Didz (David McGoldrick) is going wherever he’s going and Murph (Daryl Murphy) is ruling the world. They’re all gone! I’m so upset about it.”

He continued: “They’re not for sale. The official line with all my players is, until somebody asks (if they can buy them), there’s no point talking about it is there? “We get the scout list and they’re all here and watching them, but then again we’re on the scout list at lower league games too.

“We’re not getting shut of any of our players – not a chance. We want to be in the mix for promotion at the end of the season.”

One player who could be leaving the club is fringe striker Balint Bajner. The towering Hungarian, who has found his chances limited after arriving from German club Borussia Dortmund’s B side in the summer, has slipped down the pecking order after the recent additions of Noel Hunt and Freddie Sears and been linked with a loan switch to League One club Notts County.

“He’s available and there are a few people looking at him for a loan,” said McCarthy. “We’ll just wait and see what he decides.”

Having signed veteran keeper Paddy Kenny this morning, following the addition of striker Sears from Colchester United last Friday, will McCarthy – linked with a loan move for Leeds striker Billy Sharp – be looking to strengthen further?

“We are always looking,” he said. “We didn’t have enough for a full set of subs at the weekend, but we’ve got Skusey (Cole Skuse) and Bish (Teddy Bishop) back now and are a lot better off. We’ll probably have 19 or 20 players travelling down to Brighton.

“If we can add to the squad and strengthen the squad then we’ll do it in our usual way.”

– See tomorrow’s EADT and Ipswich Star for Brighton v Ipswich Town match preview. Follow @Stuart_Watson on Twitter for live match updates.