Ipswich Town midfielder’s contract stance emerges as deal enters final 12 months

Ipswich Town’s Sam Morsy has said there’s no update on his contract situation but he wants to stay and can see himself retiring at Portman Road.

Ipswich Town midfielder Morsy has been a vital player since arriving from Middlesbrough in the summer of 2021.

The club captain chipped in with four goals and six assists in 44 League One games last season as Kieran McKenna’s side made a long-awaited return to the Championship. He was an ever-present in the middle of the park, starring alongside whoever was partnered with him as McKenna contended with midfield injuries for much of the campaign.

Questions have been asked about what the long-term future could hold for Morsy with his deal up next summer. He’ll be 32 in September and amid recent contract extensions for a string of players, fans have been hoping the Egypt international might be next.

Now, when quizzed on the matter by the EADT, Morsy has said that while there’s no news from him, he’s keen to stay and could see himself seeing out his career with the club.

He said:

“There’s no news on myself. I just keep my head down, keep working hard and see what happens.

“Definitely,” he replied when asked if he could see himself retiring with Town.

“I’m loving my time at the club, feel really settled and I’m really enjoying my football. It’s an honour to captain this club, it really is.

“I’m just focusing on us hopefully having another really good season.”

Morsy is more than likely to be a key player once again next season and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he can hold down a starting role for the years to come as well. His experience makes him a vital figure on and off the pitch and as Ipswich settle back into Championship football, his 146 appearances in the division will help others with the demands of second-tier football.

The progress made on the contract front with key men like Conor Chaplin and manager McKenna makes for encouraging reading and hopefully, it won’t be long before more stars like Morsy can agree new terms as well.

He’s certainly keen on extending his time in East Anglia and given just how important he is to the side, Town would be foolish to let him slip out of their hands next summer.

READ MORE

Ellis Simms is a wanted man by many Championship clubs in this summer transfer window, having enjoyed a prolific spell at Sunderland before returning to Everton in the winter to aid the Toffees’ Premier League survival bid.

However, the 22-year-old only has 12 months left to run on his current contract at Goodison Park, and manager Sean Dyche is willing to let the forward leave for pastures new if the price is right, which is believed to be between the £7m and £10m mark.

Here are the latest updates on Simms’ future as the transfer window hots up, with the likes of Swansea City, Ipswich Town, Sunderland and Blackburn all interested.

Everton and Swansea looking at swap-deal

One of the host of Championship teams looking to acquire Simms’ services are Swansea City, under the new management of Michael Duff.

It seems likely that the Swans will lose the prolific Dutchman Joel Piroe this summer, as like Simms the forward now has less than a year on his contract, leaving this summer window as the biggest chance they have of recouping any funds.

One of the teams interested in Piroe is Everton, and the two clubs have explored the possibility of an exchange for the duo, as reported recently by the Daily Mail.

Second swap-deal plotted by Everton

Swansea aren’t the only side linked with a swap deal, with the same stance involving Blackburn Rovers. Football Insider reported on Sunday that the Toffees would include the 22-year-old in a potential swap deal for the highly-rated Rovers defender Scott Wharton.

Likelihood of a return to Sunderland?

Due to the reported fee Everton are willing to accept should Simms move from Merseyside, the Northern Echo report that such high figures may see Sunderland set their sights on other targets, as the club are uninterested in entering a bidding war.

Having been a key figure in the Black Cats’ early season form last season, accumulating seven goals in 17 games before being recalled by Everton, it is clear to see how highly-rated Simms is by Tony Mowbray and the Sunderland faithful.

 

Mowbray has also spoke about the club’s need for another addition in this area of the park, as Ross Stewart looks unlikely to play a part in the season opener againt Ipswich Town.

“We could probably do with some help at the top end of the pitch over the next few weeks, and I’m sure we’re working very hard behind the scenes on that,” he admitted.

Ipswich bid rejected for Simms

One club which has seen an official bid rejected for Simms are newly-promoted Ipswich Town.

Tractor Boys boss Kieran McKenna is set to recieve backing in the window in an attempt to make the Blues a competitive force in the division straight away, after ending a four-year exile.

Football Insider also reported that Town have seen a £4m bid for Simms rejected in the past week, but still remains on the Northern Irishman’s radar.

McKenna was quick to divert attention from these rumours when questioned following the club’s first pre-season friendly, as per the East Anglian Daily Times.

He said: “There’s lots of specualtion at this time of year – a lot of it incorrect. We certainly won’t comment until anything is further down the line.”