Ipswich Town would like Ainsley Maitland-Niles back from Arsenal, but Mick McCarthy admits it will be a waiting game when it comes to loan deals.

The ‘emergency’ loan system has controversially been scrapped for 2016/17, meaning Football League clubs will now no longer be able to sign players outside of the summer and January transfer windows.

Town have used this market to supplemented their squad with players such as Jonny Williams, Liam Feeney, Ben Pringle, Luke Varney, Noel Hunt and Richard Chaplow in recent years, while they have sent out their own players to either build fitness after injury or gain valuable first team experience – Luke Hyam and Josh Emmanuel two respective examples.

Now the only option when it comes to loans will be half-season or full season.

It’s understood McCarthy would like to bring 18-year-old midfielder Maitland-Niles back for another season from Arsenal, while the club has conceded there is no chance of Ryan Fraser returning from Bournemouth following his impressive campaign at Portman Road.

With wingers badly needed, discussions with several Premier League clubs about plenty of young players are on-going.

“We’re just waiting,” said McCarthy. “We’re not going to go out, just select somebody and spend loads of money on them.

“We’ll wait and see what we can get on loan. If you look, there’s not that much happening. Managers come back for pre-season and see what they’ve got.

“The teams that have had plenty of players at the European Championships will give their (international) players an extended break and therefore any squad players behind them will be used and utilised in pre-season games, tours and training.

“Anybody that is going to be let out on loan – who we’ll now have to take window-to-window or for the whole season – won’t be made available for a bit yet. The Premier League clubs will be holding their younger ones back for a while.

“We’re talking to people but, as yet, nothing is happening.”