Town are hopeful of completing the loan signing of Everton defender Matthew Pennington ahead of this afternoon’s 5pm deadline.

Terms have been agreed on the deal, which we understand is a loan switch until January.

Leeds, where the 23-year-old spent last season on loan, Blackburn and Wigan are also said to have shown interest in the 6ft 1in tall centre-half or right-back.

Pennington, who also previously had spells on loan at Tranmere, Coventry and Walsall, made 15 starts and nine sub appearances during his stint at Elland Road last season.

He has made seven starts - six in the Premier League - and one sub appearance for Everton, having come through the ranks after joining them as an 11-year-old. His only senior goal for the Toffeemen came in a 3-1 Merseyside derby defeat at Anfield in April 2017.

The Warrington-born defender will become Town's sixth loanee - manager Hurst's 12th summer signing in total - and could go straight into the team facing Norwich at Portman Road on Sunday with Toto Nsiala suspended after his red card appeal was dismissed.

Photo: Action Images

Bluearmy_81 added 14:36 - Aug 31 I hope he can hit the ground running.
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JoHnNnY added 14:37 - Aug 31 Yeah.
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Currie10 added 14:37 - Aug 31 Don't care if I get 50 down arrows, not what I was hoping. Sure, hope the lad does well - so we'll see.
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Northstander_Blue added 14:38 - Aug 31 Why only till Jan surely will be in same situation then
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PortmanTerrorist added 14:39 - Aug 31 Not Tilt, not ours, not ideal. Def not what we need for Sunday either. Wish the lad well but think we are doing Everton more of a favour than they doing us.
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jayceee added 14:40 - Aug 31 A bit of height for the corners could be good:
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Vic added 14:40 - Aug 31 Northstander - woolfie will be fully fit and we can get Chris Smith back. That's 4 CB's. Do we need any more?
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unknown100 added 14:41 - Aug 31 I've heard very good things about this chap
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TimmyH added 14:42 - Aug 31 hhmmmm seems to be forever out on loan, at Leeds last season when he picked up an injury. Seems like a last minute panic loan.
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megamoth added 14:43 - Aug 31 hate to damn him before he's even landed but this was what the Leeds fans said in Harry's last set of briefing notes: “Matthew Pennington has not been good enough to demand the shirt.” The 23-year-old centre-half is on a season-long loan from Everton and has been a bench option. “His concentration is erratic, he loses players and dithers on the ball”, “He has been caught out like a schoolkid by clever strikers.”

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trulyblue added 14:44 - Aug 31 This lad is a really good defender and very highly thought of at Everton. Personally I was hoping for some experience bit I'd take Pennington in a heartbeat.
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BaddowBlue1 added 14:45 - Aug 31 I would have been happier with a left footed Centre Back. So we will back in for Tilt in January probably will end up paying the same price so should have just got it done as he will be on other clubs radar by the if he is performing well.
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Bluearmy_81 added 14:54 - Aug 31 He loves derbies! Scored for Everton vs Liverpool 😀
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braveblue added 14:54 - Aug 31 Well done Marcus. Saved a few pennies.
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Currie10 added 14:54 - Aug 31 Okay just had feedback from Everton and Leeds lads. Everton lad - seems to think okay for champ won't make prem. Unfortunately he played for Leeds second half of the season.... I checked that to start with. Apparently he cannot defend set pieces very well! Confidence shot to pieces by Leeds faithful is the feedback I've been given. YAY.
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TimmyH added 14:57 - Aug 31 Doesn't fill me with confidence after reading feedback from above posts, before erratic Leeds loan had been out on loan at Coventry and Walsall as well.
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ipswichdave added 14:58 - Aug 31 Need a left footed CB
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 15:06 - Aug 31 Well, he obviously wasn't first choice, or even second, and probably not third either. But I hope he comes in and does well. We haven't managed this too cleverly, have we?
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Dissboyitfc added 15:11 - Aug 31 Would prefer wolfenden who is our own player , over this guy, all day long !
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Taricco_Fan added 15:18 - Aug 31 Not spending the extra £200k on Curtis Tilt may prove to be a sizeable mistake.
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davetheblue added 15:22 - Aug 31 we need more experience at the back and this not a good choice.but i am guessing we are desperate now i cant believe we just didn't pay the extra 100 grand for tilt ,i can only assume there is more to it
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Fat_Boy_Tim added 15:25 - Aug 31 The £200k thing is only from reports. The negotiations were not made public. For all we know they could have been demanding a 50% sell on clause. Burst had been pretty shrewd getting 11 of 12 deals done this summer. Looks like it'll be 12/13 in an hour or so. I trust if the deal was acceptable we would have done it. We met all the other valuations. This was about more than an extra £200k.

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Barty added 15:27 - Aug 31 What annoys me is that it appears that Tilt was the main target for PH but as usual Town quibble over few quid and we don't get him before the 9th August deadline and now we are panicking to get in a CB before 5.00pm today. There is no ambition at this club anymore and that is a crying shame.
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soclopath added 15:35 - Aug 31 All people talk about Tilt when, what if,sure some of you must dream about it.Get a life if he sadly goes down with a season long injury you'll be demanding the flag at P.R. Should be at half mast .
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PositivelyPortman added 15:39 - Aug 31 What a moaning bunch of wimps on here. Give him a fricking chance ffs. Last time most of the melts on here last played football in the cubs.
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