TARGET: Ex-Manchester United goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak.

Ex-Manchester United keeper Tomasz Kuszczak is Ipswich Town’s top target

By Stuart Watson
Monday, June 18, 2012
1:42 PM

FORMER Manchester United keeper Tomasz Kuszczak is at the very top of manager Paul Jewell’s most wanted list.

The 30-year-old has been released by the Premier League giants after slipping down the pecking order at Old Trafford.

And the Evening Star understands that the Blues boss has told owner Marcus Evans that the club must do everything they can to beat off a host of other Championship suitors to his signature.

Town need strengthening in a number of key areas, but it is the position of goalkeeper that Jewell sees as his upmost priority.

The Blues have never really found themselves an established custodian since Kelvin Davis was sold to Sunderland in 2005.

Over the last 10 years an incredible 16 different players have started between the sticks for the club, with last season the most disrupted of them all.

Arran Lee-Barrett came in-and-out of the side, with David Stockdale (Fulham) and Alex McCarthy (Reading) both seeing loan spells cut short and Richard Wright making just one appearance during his third spell at Portman Road.

Jewell appears unconvinced that Lee-Barrett is the man to build a side in front of, saying recently that he is scouring the transfer market for a keeper who can become the club’s ‘established number one’.

Kuszczak grew frustrated at Old Trafford after Sir Alex Ferguson went out and signed David de Gea following Edwin van der Sar’s retirement, with Anders Lindegaard also seemingly becoming a preferred choice.

Released after starting just 43 games in six campaigns, the 10-capped Polish international ended last season on loan at Watford and was disappointed not to be selected for this summer’s European Championships, part-staged by his home nation.

A host of Championship clubs are believed to be interested in his signature, with the 6ft 3in former West Brom keeper taking his time to decide which is the best place for him to reignite his career.

USA international Brad Guzan – released by Aston Villa – is another keeper believed to be on the Blues’ list, the towering 27-year-old having been on loan at Hull City last year.

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12 comments

As I said, we had no chance of signing him, and as he has now signed for Brighton, that is the end of that. It also shows that clubs with competent managers and CEOs are signing players, and only the inept clubs are making excuses about how complicated it is to sign players. When I was younger we used to have a word for that. Drivel.

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Kevin Bailey

Wednesday, June 20, 2012
A solid keeper who would definitely improve our squad.....This being the case he will sign for somebody else !!!

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bluearmy78

Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Spartacus, go to sky clockwatch, and you will find there have been very few transfers compleated in the championship, and of those that have taken place 80% are loans. It is a sign of the times with clubs haveing to match their outgoings with their income, and Clegg has said this is the clubs priority so dont blame PJ will you.

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Cyril Baker

Tuesday, June 19, 2012
I think it would be a good signing but, bearing in mind this is a regurgitated story by the EADT, I don't hold out hope. If several other Championship clubs are interested we are out already on the basis that the wages we offer don't appear to be competitive. As Kevin says, no first team players signed yet and as it is so close to the new season we will have short term gelling issues with so little time for them to train together. The 2012 Euros shouldn't affect much because we aren't looking at that level of player. I was impressed with the long term scouting of Hewitt but the lack of activity otherwise just follows the same inability to get players in that Jewell showed us before (After all, its not like he has had several month to prepare for the need to fill positions.... ahem.). I suspect we have around 6 more months to suffer Jewells ineptitude. I wish he hadn't wasted 2 years of my ITFC life but unfortunately I see no other outcome....

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I am Spartacus

Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Clearly a made-up space filler. There are a lot of journeymen goalies (and quite a few rather good ones) seeking new homes. Only the more mercenary or those lacking ambition amongst this motley crew would consider Town.... after all their other options evaporate.

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Rob Steroo

Tuesday, June 19, 2012
im led to believe that all of towns top targets are on international duty but now holland are out of euro 12 we can look forward to a couple of signings this week

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gutted

Monday, June 18, 2012
Come on Messrs.Clegg & Jewell Get those proverbile fingers out & stop telling us about players targetted but no hope of signing unless they up the bids to match other Championship clubs some with a lot less attendances etc than ITFC. I had a dream last night Mr Clegg had but bids in for Rooney & Hart of just over £500;000 for the pair !!!

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arfer arvey

Monday, June 18, 2012
Blue Excile- I hear from you one of few voices of sanity calling through the mist- Dont belive everything you read in the papers! Spot on KB with Euro 2012 many players and clubs are waiting before the merry go round of transfers kicks off- Player may make or break a name for themselves during the tournemnet hence agnets are making sure they hang on. If player are not making decisons yet there is nothing clubs can do- 1 prmosing youngster in already another on the way by the sounds of things so calm down dear its only a news story

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TrueBlue

Monday, June 18, 2012
I think this would be a good signing- Its not like he made any howlers at Man U. A good keeper who did really well at WBA before his move that wants 1st team action- He dispacled loach from the watford size last season I know you will complain that he is to old but a keeper is at his best in his 30s and he could play for another 10 years- Dont forget he had Van Der Sar in front of him- I would take him or Guzan anyday at Championship level

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TrueBlue

Monday, June 18, 2012
"the Evening Star understands" = no direct quotes from the club. Would be nice if we are looking at him but don't take this as golden that we are, and therefore deride PJ, ME et al for missing out on 'another one' that we may not have formally persued anyway.

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Blue Exile

Monday, June 18, 2012
(a) Was this before or after Joel Ward was the top target (b) Was this decided during January, when Jewell said we were holding back on signings then, as we would be making our moves as soon as the season ended, in May (c) Would it have been wise to sign the 'new goalkeeper' before announcing to the 'new goalkeeper's agent how desperate we are to sign him (d) As we only have one GK at the moment, would it have been a good idea not to release Cropper and Wright, and thoroughly demotivate ALB until we had signed the 'new GK' (e) Further evidence of the appalling lack of thought that goes into running ITFC these days. SUMMARY.....We have no chance of signing him, so Jewell should look elsewhere. I would also ask that in the coming season he resist the temptation to make absurd statements, which prove to be nothing more than wishful thinking, and are usually proven to be twaddle within days, if not hours. The fixtures are out, and we have a threadbare squad, and have signed one (very promising player) who is injured until October. Unless I have missed it, Scotland has also failed to sign his contract yet, which, on the basis that Jewell said that he could leave a number of times last season, is understandable. Our first competitive game is in just 8 weeks time from tomorrow, and it will be 7 weeks and 3 days since our last match. So excuse me for being cynical, and underwhelmed by yet more talk and yet more inaction.

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Kevin Bailey

Monday, June 18, 2012
here we go again.

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david peters

Monday, June 18, 2012