Ipswich Town currently have just two senior centre-backs in Luke Chambers and Adam Webster. STUART WATSON looks at some potential summer signings.
FREE AGENTS
Jack Hobbs
The experienced Championship defender, who will turn 30 this summer, is set to become a free agent following two injury-hit seasons at Nottingham Forest.
Ankle operations and a back problem have restricted him to just 15 appearances since the start of 2016/17, but prior to that he had regularly been a 40+ games a season man. He insists he is ‘raring to go and ready to make up for lost time’.
The former Liverpool youngster, who previously played in the second-tier for Leicester and Hull, said: “I feel I still have a lot to give and I have good experience of playing in the Championship over the years so I feel I could do a job for a team out there.”
Jack Robinson
After playing a key role at the heart of QPR’s defence last season, the 24-year-old chose not to sign a new deal at Loftus Road – even after Steve McClaren replaced Ian Holloway in the hot-seat.
The 24-year-old, who can also play at left-back and as a holding midfielder, will be holding out for a Premier League move but could end up moving to another Championship outfit. Sheffield United have been linked.
A former Liverpool youngster, he has had loan spells at Wolves, Blackpool and Huddersfield in the past.
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PREMIER LEAGUE LOANS
Cameron Carter-Vickers (Tottenham)
Town, you imagine, would jump at the chance to bring the USA international back on loan from Tottenham again.
The 20-year-old produced some impressive displays for the Blues in the second half of last season. And if Spurs do decide to send him out for further development, the Blues could well be his destination of choice.
Town academy coach Bryan Klug brokered that move last January, thanks to close connections with his former club.
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Axel Tuanzebe (Man Utd)
The Old Trafford academy graduate is highly-rated by Jose Mourinho and featured in eight games across the Premier League, Champions League and two domestic cup competitions in 2017.
He then spent the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa but injuries restricted him to making just five appearances for Steve Bruce’s promotion-chasing team, often alongside former England skipper John Terry.
The Congolese-born 20-year-old will reportedly be sent out on loan again.
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Ben Wilmot (Watford)
The Hornets have just shelled out a reported £1.5m to land the 18-year-old from League Two side Stevenage but could loan him straight out for further experience.
The teenager’s ability to read the game is what really caught the eye after making his senior debut last October. He was the only player from outside of the top two divisions in England’s Under-19 squad last season and had been tracked by a host of Premier League clubs, including Arsenal and Tottenham.
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Jake Clarke-Salter (Chelsea)
Captained Chelsea’s U18s to glory in the FA Youth Cup (twice) and UEFA Youth League and has been capped by England at various age groups.
He spent 2016/17 on loan at League One side Bristol Rovers and then the second half of last season at Sunderland.
LOWER LEAGUE
Toto Nsiala (Shrewsbury)
Paul Hurst could well look to sign this man for a third time to continue their rise up the leagues together.
The Congolese-born defender, 26, helped Grimbsy return to the top-flight in 2015/16 and was reunited with Hurst at Shrewsbury where he played a key role in their dramatic transformation from League One relegation battlers to promotion contenders.
Rugged and athletic, the former Everton youngster is realising his potential after Hurst helped him stop seeing the red-mist.
Manny Parry (Dover)
The Kent side may have narrowly missed out on the National League play-off places, but they ended the season with the best defensive record – just 44 goals conceded in 46 games.
Former Stoke and Millwall trainee Parry, 24, not only played a key role in a watertight back three but also chipped in with five goals.
The former Braintree defender is out of contract and has made no secret of his desire to play further up the pyramid.
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