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Garbutt: There Will Be Discussions With Everton and Ipswich, We’ll Just Have to Wait and See
Monday, 13th Jan 2020 16:59

Town loanee Luke Garbutt is unable to update his position on a possible permanent move to Portman Road from parent club Everton, where his contract is set to expire at the end of the season.

It is no secret that both Garbutt and Town are interested in a deal, or that the clubs have had preliminary discussions, but for the time being the player is remaining tight-lipped about his future.

Garbutt, 26, said: “Everton have just been saying ‘Keep doing what you are doing, you’re progressing nicely, you’re doing really well down there and it seems you’re enjoying it.’ I’ve not had a great deal of contact recently but over the course of the season I’ve had a few phone calls.”

Asked if his position might be resolved before the transfer window closes at the end of January, he added: “I’m just concentrating on my football at the minute. It’s down to my representatives to discuss whatever happens in the summer and for the time being I just want to concentrate on Ipswich Town and playing the best I can to try to get this club promoted into the Championship.

“It’s definitely something we would look at but right now for me personally I just want to concentrate on making sure that Ipswich Town are in the right position come the summer, which will hopefully see them returning to the Championship.

“I’m enjoying my football. The fans have been great with me and everything seems really, really good. My contract expires in the summer and there will be discussions with Everton and Ipswich, so we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.

“I can’t really comment on speculation involving other clubs. I just have to take care of what I can take care of and that is playing for Ipswich Town and playing to the best of my ability in trying to get them promoted.”

Clearly, there is no rush from Garbutt’s perspective. He is enjoying his time at Portman Road and would clearly prefer a move to the Championship than to switch permanently to League One, something he can help to bring about should he help Town to win promotion this season.


Garbutt has scored six goals already this season and has never achieved a bigger tally throughout his career, which has also taken in loan spells with Cheltenham, Colchester, Fulham and Wigan, as well as tomorrow’s opponents, Oxford, where he spent the entire 2018/19 season.

Town head for the Kassam Stadium in search of their first away success since winning 1-0 at Rochdale in early November and Garbutt admitted his target is to reach an end-of-season haul of 10 goals.

He said: “As things stand I think I will be disappointed if I don’t get to double figures, but I’m just taking it one game at a time and trying to do my best for the team in whatever way I can, like chipping in with some more goals and a few more assists.

“At the end of the season we just want to get promoted and hopefully by winning the league — that’s the main objective for everyone.”

Garbutt, like all his colleagues, has been buoyed by an upturn in fortune for Town after a depressing winless of 12 games in all competitions leading into Saturday’s very welcome 4-1 victory over an Accrington Stanley side who came to Portman Road having only been beaten once in their previous nine outings in all competitions.

Boss Lambert devised a new way of playing that resembled the tactics serving Sheffield United well in the Premier League this season and Garbutt was quick to point out that the manager is always open to players having a say on how the team should play.

He added: “The manager always listen to other opinions. He comes up with the structure of the team and instructs us on how he wants us to play, but he is open to the lads chipping in with their own views and how they feel about it.

“It’s never a case of him just telling us what to do and we just have to abide by it all the time. He’ll ask questions about how comfortable we are with doing what he is asking of us and we’re open with our answers. It’s all pretty comfortable really.”

Garbutt also turned his attention to the futures of young Town duo Luke Woolfenden and Flynn Downes, both of the academy graduates having recently been linked with moves elsewhere, not necessarily in the current transfer window but at some future stage.

He said: “They are young players and they are learning all the time. They have been terrific, to be fair, but there is no way you can stop transfer speculation because it’s part of the game.

“They just have to concentrate and do what they want to do. They will want to play at the highest level they can, which is understandable.

“They are brilliant to play alongside and they are good lads, both down to earth, humble guys who are happy playing for Ipswich Town and making sure we do well. We are all pulling in the same direction and that’s the only way we can breed success.

“As long as they are 100 per cent committed to the club, speculation will just be speculation. Until they sign on the dotted line for another club they will be Ipswich Town players and they will give their all for the shirt.”

Finally, Garbutt admitted he is on the wrong end of some dressing room banter from Liverpool-born colleague Jon Nolan, who makes no secret of his allegiance to the red team on Merseyside as they edge ever closer to their first English title in 30 years.

He laughed: “I think it has been coming for the last couple of years but as an Everton player, and having been at the club for a long time, it is what it is.

“Liverpool are a big football club and there’s no doubt they are going in the right direction. Everton have just got to focus on making sure that they have some stability and structure moving forward, plus ensuring they win enough games and go in the right direction in the league.

“Jon’s really enjoying it, obviously. In fact, he’s really loving it. He keeps reminding me how happy he is with the way Liverpool are playing but it’s just a bit of banter between us.”


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Saxonblue74 added 17:09 - Jan 13
I hope a deal is as close as it sounds, would be an excellent acquisition.
8

BlueandTruesince82 added 17:20 - Jan 13
Sign him up
6

yorkshire added 17:25 - Jan 13
If anyone has seen what Luke is on at Everton then they will know that we can't get anywhere near even half of that

He's a good player - and certainly could do it in the Championship but we couldn't justify 28,000 per week even up there

https://www.spotrac.com/epl/everton-f.c/luke-garbutt-22788/
3

SamWhiteUK added 17:37 - Jan 13
Oh well yorkshire, we better pack up now then and not even try. Thanks for letting us know.
3

SuttonColdfieldBlue added 17:41 - Jan 13
He will have to take a massive pay cut.
5

istanblue added 17:43 - Jan 13
If we don't get promoted he won't be here next season. Simple as that.
6

Saxonblue74 added 17:47 - Jan 13
Yorkshire, he must be aware that he would take a big hit on his wage. Still seems keen though?
5

BurleysGloryDays added 17:52 - Jan 13
Garbs has been great. Brilliant start to the season, hope he keeps his tail up and keeps changing games like he did throughout the second half of the season.

Lambert has had an excellent transfer record so far.

Most encouraging has been shaping a team with round pegs for round holes.

Defending our interests with our assets will be important.

And the fans, manager and club make an environment for a player - so, over to us to sing the boys' names when they earn it.
3

yorkshire added 18:04 - Jan 13
I am sure he will have to take a paycut - as those are Prem wages but at the same time - who here is going to take over a 50% pay cut at the prime of their career unless forced to - I am sure that a Champ team will be monitoring him and could offer $14,000 a week which is something we can't right now

Just the nature of the beast unfortunately
3

ArnieM added 18:08 - Jan 13
The player is well aware what kind of wages he would be offered here ( if we get promoted ), which is why he's hedging his bets
2

pennblue added 18:17 - Jan 13
If we go up, we are in with a shout. If we don't, he'll be off. Simples.
5

cooper4england added 18:32 - Jan 13
Hope he is getting good advice. One bad injury and he's got no employer come the summer.
1

Linkboy13 added 18:39 - Jan 13
Been down this road many times before with loan players they give the impression they are interested then return to their clubs. Even if we did get promoted not sure if he could do it in the championship which would probably mean getting in older slightly past there best players on loan either way its going to be very difficult to survive in the championship without a big injection of cash.
0

Terry_Nutkins added 18:57 - Jan 13
Yorkshire I think you have missed the point. In July his salary is £0. He is out of contract. Everton Won't be renewing on those terms. They will ideally want to try and get something in Jan or he will be off elsewhere. Its as simple as that.

After breaking through and looking class prospect at Everton they made huge mistake and put him on good money. Its the reason he has been out on loan for years. nobody can afford his wages. From July he is free. The issue is someone in champ may offer him £10k-12k a week. We'd probo push the boat out to £6-7k.
9

LegendofthePhoenix added 19:26 - Jan 13
Spot on Terry
1

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 19:30 - Jan 13
The obvious answer is to get promoted; then we can offer him better terms. I'm pretty sure a middle/lower Championship side will sign him in the summer if we miss out on going up.
2

yorkshire added 19:36 - Jan 13
Terry - not missed the point at all - my point is that we are going to be very far apart in terms of what we can offer right now - the sums you mention are probably about right - but he is going to be a far more attractive prospect (if he remains injury free) in the summer than he is now so there is no way he will sign for us right now - or even sign a pre-contract (when he can) unless we are offering around the money you mention - which I think is very unlikely
2

Cakeman added 19:49 - Jan 13
I think Luke is very wise biding his time. He certainly likes it at Ipswich and I would think the vast majority of fans like him. At his age he has an important decision to make in the the coming weeks that should set him up nicely for the rest of his life.
He is certainly capable of being a solid Championship level player and maybe more.
0

ThatMuhrenCross added 20:41 - Jan 13
We allegedly paid Bart £20k a week in the Championship, so I wouldn't altogether rule us out for doing that if we did get promoted. But that's a big if, because if we don't, he will absolutely be going elsewhere, along with many of our other top players.
1

Terry_Nutkins added 22:39 - Jan 13
Agreed then Yorkshire. But you did say we can't afford £28k and talked about a 50% pay cut which isn't a relevance in his scenario. Seems we're on the same page though.
1

MickMillsTash added 23:22 - Jan 13
The wage bill was 16 Million last year - someone is getting big money.
He is from the North so you've got to think he's done enough this year to tempt someone up there to pay as much as we would.
I'd be surprised if he stayed.
0

trulyblue added 23:29 - Jan 13
I was invited into an executive box on Saturday and happened to be sitting a couple of seats next to Luke's dad, I had a brief chat with him st half time asking what the chances of him signing permanently. He said that Luke was really happy with how things were going at the club, was settled at a house in Woodbridge and loved the fact that he was playing every week and in front of decent sized crowds at Portman Road. He mentioned that the only negative from Luke's perspective was location as he'd like to be at a permanent club further north however this wouldn't be the deciding factor on him signing here. I got the impression that much of it would depend on promotion and if the club could come up with something suitable with his representatives.... Not much exclusive information I know but he seemed a nice guy and led me to believe that there may be a chance should promotion be achieved.
0

Michael101 added 00:05 - Jan 14
Yorkshire, well if Evans desides not to buy a new yacht this year we might be able to sign him
0

afcfee added 02:15 - Jan 14
Not going to happen on our wage budget
0

Tractor_Boy_in_HK added 03:37 - Jan 14
He'll have to take a massive paycut wherever he goes, unless he's resigned. His current wage level is baobab irrelevant to his next contract. He hasn't performed at the Premier League level and will have to accept that reality.
1


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