A major update has emerged bout Ipswich midfielder Liam Gibbs, regarding his contract situation at the club
What's the talk?
According to Suffolk News, young midfielder Liam Gibbs is hoping to sign a new contract with Ipswich before the end of the month. He is due to become a free agent at the start of July and has been touted with Premier League sides Manchester United and Norwich.
The report claims that Gibbs wants to stay at Portman Road and is hoping to sign a contract extension, despite rejecting the club's initial efforts to keep him. Gibbs made his first-team debut for Ipswich during the 2020/21 League One campaign.
Former Ipswich player and coach Kieron Dyer called Gibbs an “exciting” player back in 2019. He told TWTD, as relayed by Suffolk News:
“First-year Liam Gibbs has come in, he’s a very exciting player. He’s got a massive future as well, so they’re the two players I’d say to watch out for."
Ipswich's academy manager Bryan Klug also lauded the youngster. Last year, he told Suffolk News that Gibbs is a real talent.
“He is a goalscorer and he is a goal creator. He has got a real talent and one thing now is this football club presents opportunities to people like that."
Cook will be delighted
Ipswich manager Paul Cook will be delighted with this news for several reasons. For starters, he could be about to retain a promising young player. Gibbs showed enough for Paul Lambert to hand him a League One start against Charlton in November 2020 at the age of 17, which suggests that he is a talented prospect who could play a big role for Cook in the future.
It might not be that Gibbs signs a new contract and immediately becomes a first-team regular next season, but he could be a player Cook looks to bring in as and when he feels he's ready to cope with the constant demands of first-team football.
Another reason why Cook will be happy with this news is that it shows the club is heading in the right direction. Gibbs has decided that he would rather stay at Ipswich than join a Premier League side, with Norwich and United interested, and that is, hopefully, a sign that the club are on the right track as the youngster believes there is a pathway for him to progress at Portman Road.
This could pave the way for other talented young players to either stay at Ipswich or join the club as Cook looks to bring through academy products into the first team.
The 18-year-old could be ready for his first loan move next season. If he puts pen to paper on a contract extension then Ipswich could source him a loan to League Two or perhaps a foreign division where he can go and play regular senior football to aid his progression.
Whichever path they choose to help him develop, Ipswich and Cook should be thrilled that they've fostered an environment where an in-demand player would like to stay, rather than push to leave for pastures new.
AND in other news, Ipswich dealt transfer blow on “fantastic” £3.9k-p/w dynamo, Cook will be devastated...