Stuart Watson has issued a claim about Ipswich midfielder Flynn Downes and it’s not one that many of the club’s fans will be thrilled with.
What’s the talk?
Ipswich journalist Watson has claimed that he expects the club to cash in on Flynn Downes this summer due to his contract situation. He believes that the club will not keep Downes against his will amid interest from Championship side Barnsley. He told the Kings of Anglia podcast, as relayed by Inside Futbol:
“He’s effectively contracted for two more years, it’s the last year of his contract, but Ipswich hold the option to extend that.
“I think history shows standing in the way of players who have had a sniff of going higher up the chain and blocking that rarely works out well. Rarely do you then get the best out of that player again.
“It was a mantra of Mick McCarthy’s, as soon as a player’s head is slightly turned, there’s no point standing in their way – get your best deal and move on, and I think Paul Cook will have that same mentality, he’s talked about players being totally committed to this football club that are all in on the vision of this football club.”
Should Ipswich cash in on Downes?
Yes
No
Back in 2019, former Ipswich midfielder Matt Holland lavished praise on the “outstanding” midfielder. He told Ipswich’s official website:
“I’ve known Flynn for quite a while. My son did some training with the Academy here and I did come coaching and straight away Flynn caught my eye.
“He was only 10, 11 years old then but he looked as though he had the right temperament and attitude to go a long way, as well as the ability of course. He has proved that and this season, he has looked outstanding.
“I’ll whisper it but if I was a manager he would be the player I’d look to sign. He’s that good.”
Fans will be livid
Ipswich fans will be livid with this latest update from Watson. The journalist appears to have signalled that Downes will be on his way out of Portman Road this summer and that could be a major blow to Ipswich and Paul Cook ahead of next season. Downes is a promising, quality, young midfielder and his exit could affect Ipswich both in the short and long term.
In the short term, Ipswich would be losing an excellent defensive midfielder. Downes averaged a superb WhoScored rating of 6.98 as a defensive midfielder in League One during the 2020/21 campaign, highlighting his quality at this level. He was crucial in winning the ball back for Ipswich, as he averaged 3.8 tackles and interceptions per game for Paul Lambert and then Cook. This shows what Ipswich will be missing in the short term if they cash in on him now.
In the long term, Ipswich will not be able to benefit from his potential. The £2.3k-per-week ace doesn’t even turn 23 until next year and has plenty of years of development left in him. He could still progress into a better player and Ipswich fans will not be able to watch that happen in Suffolk if the club decides to sell him this window. Therefore, this update will be frustrating for Ipswich fans, especially if it comes to fruition.
AND in other news, Ipswich dealt transfer blow on “fantastic” £3.9k-p/w dynamo, Cook will be devastated…