TWTD understands Aston Villa’s James Bree is at Portman Road as the Blues close in on signing the 21-year-old on loan.

News that Town were targeting the former Barnsley man broke earlier this afternoon with manager Paul Lambert remaining tight-lipped at his press conference when quizzed about the Wakefield-born defender.

Bree has made only eight Championship appearances for Villa this season having joined them from the Tykes in January 2017. He is contracted until the summer of 2021.

Blues boss Paul Lambert has previously said a right-back was one of his January targets with Norwich’s Ivo Pinto linked earlier today, although that report appears more speculative with Bree set to become Town’s seventh signing during the window and sixth loanee.

Bree’s recruitment is likely to see on-loan Everton defender Matthew Pennington leave the Blues to join Derby on loan for the second half of the season with a view to the move being turned into a permanent switch in the summer.

Speaking at his lunchtime press conference, manager Lambert reiterated that he didn't like having more than five loan players at the club with only five permitted in a matchday squad.

“To me it shows up the loan system for what it is," he said. "It’s incredible, you have maybe six loans or seven loans but you can only have five in a matchday squad.

“That’s why I said before that the loan system isn’t healthy. Maybe one or two is totally fine, but not this because you’re always having to manage that scenario.

“For a manager it’s not a great scenario to be in. But by the same token you have to get guys that you think can try and help as well but you’ve also got the disappointment of leaving one or two out and then clubs can ask why they’re not playing.

“It creates something that you could do without and that’s why I’ve said the club’s got to get back to getting its own players, whether it’s young players coming through, great, even better if that happens. Or we have to go and try and buy. One or two loans is fine but this scenario is no good.”

Asked whether he would consider signing a sixth loanee today, having remained tight-lipped when quizzed about his interest in Bree, he added: “If I thought it was right and things started to move then you’d have to look at it, but again there’s loads of scenarios with loans, salary-wise those sorts of thing.

“Six players, seven players, in a matchday squad you can only pick five. The clubs get involved saying, ‘Why’s he not playing, why’s this one not playing’.

"You’ve got all those sort of things, that’s why the loan system for me [doesn’t work]. One or two maximum, not more. But that’s the way the club is at the minute, but we’ll hopefully rectify that.”

If he does end up with six, how would he prefer to deal with that, send one of the loanees back, as looks set to be the case with Pennington, or manage the situation for the remaining months of the season?

“It’s a bit of both really," he reflected. "But again, it's a difficult one to manage, what you think is right and what you think is wrong, for a number of reasons.

“The minuses outweigh the pluses when you have too many loans, I think that’s the way to view it."

Photo: Action Images

Paddy39 added 14:58 - Jan 31 Pennington will be really missed he has played well for us.
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ForeverBlueSince1996 added 15:00 - Jan 31 Backwards move by Pennington. His starting every game here getting the experience which he needs to sitting on the bench at Derby as I can't see him starting there
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itfcjoe added 15:00 - Jan 31 Rad news
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Northstander_Blue added 15:05 - Jan 31 Don't look like Pennington is leaving Right. Looks like #itfc are closing in on James Bree of #avfc. Seen the report re Pennington and Derby. Everton and #itfc had a conversation last night and, at that stage, it was left that Pennington would stay with Ipswich.https://t.co/FXLEq7s3n5 pic.twitter.com/BQiFtIppUO — Andy Warren (@AndyWarren_) January 31, 2019
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algarvefan added 15:05 - Jan 31 What's wrong with Woolfenden?
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scooby added 15:10 - Jan 31 How old is Emanuel
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Guthrum added 15:11 - Jan 31 Algarvefan - He's not a right back, which is Bree's position and where Pennington has been playing. He's also settled on loan at Swindon and does not have the championship experience we so badly need.
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pennblue added 15:11 - Jan 31 We need Pennington to stay - Collins is likely to get crocked at some point, and he should arguably be playing ahead of Chambers.
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Gco4 added 15:13 - Jan 31 Disgraceful if the club let Pennington go and let in Bree
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blueboy1981 added 15:23 - Jan 31 ....... doesn't seem too much sense in this to me. Where's the overall benefit ?
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SuperBlue67 added 15:38 - Jan 31 It would be a shame to lose Pennington, he has been a good player, but, He is not a right back and if we keep him I feel its either chambers or Pennington at right back which still leaves us weak in the midde. I think it has to be done thanks Matthew for your hard work and effort
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mow_the_lawn added 15:42 - Jan 31 Pennington is probably thinking about his future, given Everton have recently spent big on defernders and he's less likely to have a future there. Given the option of a potential promotion or a nearly certain relegation on his CV, I wouldn't blame for leaving us. Hope we would at least give Emmanuel a run of a few games at right back before the new lad from Villa.

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Blue041273 added 15:50 - Jan 31 Blueboy, I agree entirely! Everything this club does at the moment beggars belief. Do they see things that no one else does? If so why are we where we are at the moment! Right now there are more questions than answers.
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wherescounago added 16:01 - Jan 31 If Pennington goes to Derby I wouldn't mind a fiver on him scoring the only goal of the game when we play Derby next month!!
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Facefacts added 16:01 - Jan 31 Hopefully the conversation with Everton went along the lines of: ITFC "we're bringing in a right back, either Pinto or Bree, which means Pennington won't play in front of Pinto/Bree, Chambers, Collins, are you ok with that or do you want Pennington to go on loan where he will definitely get games week in, week out?"; EFC "let him stay with you". As others have said, we will be lucky if Chambers and Collins stay fit for the rest of the season, so Pennington will come back in at that point.

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JoHnNnY added 16:08 - Jan 31 Cover for chamber and collins
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Northstandveteran added 16:12 - Jan 31 Bree-liant!
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Bergholtblue added 16:25 - Jan 31 Tyrone Mings has joined villa from Bournemouth. Can see this one going through.
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1RWR added 16:46 - Jan 31 Don't forget all 3 [Everton/Penn/ITFC] have to agree to curtail his loan with us, so, if Lambert says 'no' because he wants him to play, then any loan deal is off. If Lambert doesn't rate him that high, then that's a different story all together.
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MickMillsTash added 16:58 - Jan 31 Pennington has been better at Right back than centre back- but he is not a right back Good move if Bree is any good - but I said that about Elder and then Blackburn happened
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warktheline added 16:59 - Jan 31 Must say I loathe Derby! Continually snapping up players with 'form' from clubs, hopefully they will remain in the Championship for many more years to come!
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Jonnosdreadlocks added 17:18 - Jan 31 Lambert was talking about utilising our youth for future so I hope Josh Emmanuel is going to get a crack at right back. If Pennington is going on loan somewhere else give our boys a go as they are the future no another friggin loan! Does leave us short at CB, hopefully Woolfy gets a recall. I cant see Spence playing CB in the 1st team like he did for the u23s on Monday...

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ITFCMonk added 17:39 - Jan 31 Would rather send Chalobah back than Pennington
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