Town boss Mick McCarthy will look to the loan market or for a player close to the end of his contract as he attempts to add to his defensive options during January.

Currently, the Blues manager has only his regular back four - Luke Chambers, Christophe Berra, Tommy Smith and Aaron Cresswell - plus Tyrone Mings at his disposal.

“We’re having a look,” McCarthy confirmed. “The difficulty is that we’re not going to buy anybody. Can we get anybody that’s coming out of contract [in the summer] or is on loan and are they better than the ones I’ve got?

“I think they’ll have to be bloody damned good to be better than the ones we’ve got. We might need a bit of back-up, we’ll see.

“We can take loans and maybe someone who is coming out of contract who is surplus to requirements elsewhere or there could be a swap deal done."

Despite being unable to pay fees, McCarthy isn't complaining: “We haven’t bought anybody in the first place, but I accept the gig as it is and we’ve done great as it is so far with the situation as it is with the budget as it is.

"If we can get some loans, Marcus will back that, and we’ll keep looking, seeing if we can get anybody.”

Meanwhile, what's apparently the list of scouts attending Benfica's 2-0 victory over Porto yesterday is circulating and includes Town alongside the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City, Barcelona and Juventus.

Elsewhere, the futures of two former Blues strikers were the subject of speculation on an otherwise quiet Sunday for Town-related transfer gossip.

Jason Scotland, 34, who left the Blues a year ago, has had his contract settled by Barnsley and is set to return to Scottish football with his former clubs Dundee United and St Johnstone, as well as Hibernian, interested.

Connor Wickham, 20, who has scored eight goals in 10 games in his current loan spell with Sheffield Wednesday, is reportedly a £4 million target of Nottingham Forest.

Sunderland paid the Blues an initial £8.1 million - plus milestone top-ups and a percentage of any profit the Black Cats might make on a future sale - for the England U21 international in the summer of 2011.

We understand ex-Town reserves and Hibs centre-half Chris Hogg, 28, who announced his retirement from the professional game last week, is set to join Ryman League Division One North Needham Market.

Photo: Action Images

irishtim added 06:24 - Jan 13 Well we have to beg & borrow again. Thanks Marcus. I know there are guidelines to follow but ffs ME has given Mick no real backing imo. Hopefully Stearman & a decent midfielder can be got. In fairness MM has done a brilliant job with no cash. From bottom to a chance of playoff footie in little over a year. Well done MM TC Players & Staff.
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Len_Brennan added 06:47 - Jan 13 We need a right back. Chambrrs has done really well since been moved out of position, just like Edwards did when he was asked to cover there, but one is a centre half & the other the winger, so unsurprisingly they get shown up from time to time, particularly against the better sides. I have a lot of time for Luke Chambers & think he has been an excellent signing, but against QPR & other sides with real quality in their attack, he does look like a centre half who is trying to cope in an unnatural position. Like many others I believe Stearman is a somewhat better option at right back & would be pleased if he signed again, even though we would still be looking at a converted centre half. It is hard to believe that we still haven't replaced David Wright.

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Jimmy86 added 06:48 - Jan 13 Agree with you irishtim, however i fear he has had his hands burnt by the 2 previous managers and now wont do it again. Funny that coz the joint MD's said during the uncertainty regarding mick and the ireland job that money would be available to spend in the jan transfer window. A ploy to keep him at the time we all thought, just more spin. We should have loaned wickham back when he became available, as i believe we had first refusal on him as part of the deal. See forest are flaunting the ffp again... shame on you evans, back your manager

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wychyblue added 06:58 - Jan 13 I think Stearman is out of contract in the summer. But realistically it is difficult to compete with teams with a budget like QPR. Notts Forest are set to bid £4 million for Wickham . Huddersfield pay £1.5 + Million for Nahki wells. Big Mick is doing bloody well with the deal he has been given but sadly if the premier league is the promised land , there are other clubs in a better position to get there before us.

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EssexTractor added 07:27 - Jan 13 It would be more pleasing to read of MMs interest in a " footballing" midfielder. Defensively we might need cover, but creativity is the imperative if the clubs management and owner truly want to achieve real progress. Our current squad is certainly good enough to maintain a position around 8th or 9th but we have not been able to beat any of the top sides so far this season, mainly, in my opinion through a lack of midfield creativity. To maintain a top six position and ultimately contend in any play off situation demands an in insurgence of guile.

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essexboy added 07:45 - Jan 13 Ok,so we need cover at the back,but what we really need is a midfielder with vision able to make that telling pass.MM has done a wonderful job with limited funds,I doubt many other managers would accept that.Onwards and upwards Mick ,in you we believe.COYB
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Popeye added 08:07 - Jan 13 John Brayford from Cardiff??
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blueblood66 added 08:33 - Jan 13 'Not buying' Evans has lost his mojo then. For the first time in how many years we are in contention for a top 6 spot, this is the time to back your man! When you buy a club the size of Ipswich you are always going to have to fork out.
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TrabzonBlue added 08:52 - Jan 13 Ah the classic MM diversion tactic, I almost fell for it there... Evans must be touching cloth at being so close to his premier league dream, surely he will give him some cash to cement a playoff spot.
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RedDust added 08:54 - Jan 13 I think the consolidation of another year in the championship will do us wonders so I'm not getting too caught up with the idea of the playoffs this season if we continue to improve at the rate we have. It would be nice to participate in the playoffs but it's not essential this season. With two more transfer windows till next season we have a great opportunity to find the missing pieces of the puzzle on free transfers and the familiarity of the existing squad bonding further. Also teams that have flaunted the FFP rules will be forced to pay for there actions setting them back years in my opinion.

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SouperJim added 08:56 - Jan 13 You can't spend money you don't have. Unfortunately Evans backed the wrong managers prior to FFP, but he has pissed millions down the drain for this club with the best intentions and some of you still aren't happy. If someone comes in with 3 or 4 mil for Cresswell I'm sure it would be re-invested in the playing squad. Until then, in Mick we trust. Like it or lump it, that is the reality of the situation.

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RegencyBlue added 08:58 - Jan 13 MM has worked wonders since taking over but there is only so much he, or anyone else, can do with no real financial backing from Evans, The major worry for me is how long MM will be prepared to put up with this situation. There must be plenty of Championship clubs, and possibly the odd Premiership club, who would be more than happy to have MM as manager and who would back him financially to build a side. The Jaunuary transfer window is not a particularly good time to buy, inflated prices and all that, but if Evans doesnt come up with something in the summer I can see MM moving on.

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SouperJim added 09:04 - Jan 13 Ridiculous doom-mongering. Mick is going nowhere, he has said many times that he knew what the job was when he took it.
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blues1 added 09:27 - Jan 13 souperjim. youre right. the only way we we're going to spend money on transfer fess(will still have to spend on agents fees, signing on fees which so many on here forget). is if we sell someone. as cresswell is the only player with any kind of large fee likely, it would have to be him I believe. remember guys, me can only invest £6m pounds of his own money into the club this season, which I would suggest, he already has done throught the players signed in the summer, plus supporting the clubs debt. so hes unable to invest any more. well, not unless he wants to risk a fine and possibly a transfer embargo at the end of the season. so ,for now, loans or out of contract players are the only and the best option, then in the summer can hopefully sign one or two.

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keanokeano added 09:29 - Jan 13 Not a defender but maybe we should try get Aaron Mcclean back on loan he is out of favour at hull other than cup games and got 2 goals in the FA Cup for them, good back up for Murphy at the very least. Defender wise, If it is just back up we are after then why not offer Bramble a pay as you play deal til end of the season, plenty of experience and he is local and training with the squad anyway so would have little if any trouble gelling with the players.

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kozmik added 09:47 - Jan 13 Titus Bramble?
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Guthrum added 10:00 - Jan 13 The FFP limit on the amount an owner can put into the club per season is less than half the amount that ITFC lost in the last financial year. If we don't cut expenditure, we're going to be penalised next season (which could be a very important one for us). However, if the football authorities don't enforce the penalties for exceeding FFP properly, then it will be an utter farce and many people will be rightfully very angry.

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pazelle added 10:27 - Jan 13 How are Forest able to go for Wickham? Surely we can too then? 20 years old, £4 million an absolute snip. Let's get him!
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WorcesterBlue added 10:41 - Jan 13 Hopefully a smokescreen from Mick plus a pretty obvious statement of intent to get Stearman I'd have thought (seems to tick all the boxes). But the posters who mention creativity in centre midfield are correct - one of these as a minimum is required plus imo a right sided player with pace and the ability to take a player on. Bramble is not a bad shout either as unlike many others on here I actually think he is still a half decent prem defender let alone Championship one.

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brendenward35 added 10:42 - Jan 13 Think we all need to be very realistic here, last year Mick got a few loanees in with a few months of their contracts left and they joined us this season on a free :-) think he'll be building the squad for next season the same way. I'm sure Mick has a few players up his sleeve so we have to sit back and wait to see what happens. In Mick we trust
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WorcesterBlue added 10:43 - Jan 13 And ffp is a joke. Clubs like us and Norwich (yes them) who play the game will get stuffed whilst the likes of Forest, Southampton , Man City a co will just pay the pathetic fines they get and carry on.
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Cheshire_Blue added 10:46 - Jan 13 For all the 'hot air' spoken by Mr Evans, it is quite clear he has no ambition to reach the Premier League. Mick McCarthy has worked wonders on a shoe string budget. For goodness sake give him a bit of money to see what he can really do for us.
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karls_dad added 10:47 - Jan 13 As quoted above in many posts, we were all told that funds would be available in this transfer window, now apparently not! It certainly confirms that we are the paupers in this division, Mick has done wonders with what he has been able to get for diddly squat, but sadly i feel he will be gone soon as he needs the backing from the owners to achieve what we all desire. One more thing, and i thought i would never say this! i really hope those up the road stay up this year, as having watched their game on tv the other night they are light years ahead of us in quality, a local derby again would be a nightmare!!!

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dav86 added 11:13 - Jan 13 Bramble is still about the place, jogging on the chantry estate the other day
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Wickets added 11:16 - Jan 13 Bramble stopped turning up for training with us about a month ago! the club dont seem to know why. Good stuff Souper Jim.
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