Nottingham Forest’s Liam Bridcutt has barely featured for the club this season.
According to a report last month by the Nottingham Post, Nottingham Forest manager Aitor Karanka is ready to allow both Liam Bridcutt and Ben Watson to leave the club in the January transfer window.
The report claims Forest are looking to add more funds to their transfer kitty, and the two players are high on the list of likely departures, having barely featured for the Reds this term.
For Ipswich, Bridcutt’s potential availability could represent an excellent opportunity to strengthen an area of the team that is in need of improving, with the Tractor Boys lacking experience in the middle of the park.
Newly-appointed manager Paul Lambert likes to operate with a 4-3-3 system, but two of his midfielders – Trevoh Chalobah and Flynn Downes – are only 19 years of age and have little Championship experience. While no doubt talented, Ipswich’s young duo have struggled to offer protection to the back four this season and Lambert has gone on record (East Anglian Daily Times) saying he wants to add experience during the January transfer window.
Bridcutt, 29, has been unlucky to find himself out of first-team contention at Nottingham Forest, signed by Karanka’s predecessor Mark Warburton six months prior to the Spaniard’s arrival. Karanka has since signed Claudio Yacob, Adlene Guedioura, Jack Colback and Ben Watson as holding midfielders, leaving Bridcutt firmly down the pecking order – and only featuring in the Carabao Cup.
Averaging 3.1 tackles and 1.8 interceptions per game over the last three seasons (Whoscored), the former Leeds United man will be desperate for regular football, and he would find that at an Ipswich, lacking a proper holding midfielder capable of giving the team more structure and physical presence, he could play a vital role.
Ipswich remain bottom of the Championship table, and four points from safety, after drawing 1-1 with Sheffield United at the weekend.
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