Exclusive: Ipswich Town close to agreeing Ryan Doherty deal

Ipswich Town are closing in on a deal to sign Stevenage’s teenage sensation Ryan Doherty, sources have told Football Insider.

Doherty, 17, has already made 11 first-team appearances for Stevenage and made his first League One start in last month’s clash against Cardiff City.

The dynamic midfielder’s potential has alerted a number of clubs higher up the football pyramid, but Ipswich have moved to bring him to Portman Road.

Ipswich see Doherty as a potential star in the making and see his arrival as a coup after beating several other sides to his signature.

Doherty signed his first professional contract with Stevenage in August after entering the second year of his two-year scholarship deal at the League One club.

Ipswich Town close in on Ryan Doherty deal

Football Insider exclusively revealed on 29 December that Bournemouth, Birmingham and Ipswich wanted to sign Doherty and were racing for his signature.

However, it was Ipswich who moved quickest to agree terms with Stevenage and they are now in a strong position to beat their rivals to the deal.

The midfielder has established himself as a regular in the Stevenage first-team squad under Alex Revell, having impressed the boss during their pre-season preparations.

In what is proving to be a breakout year for him, the midfielder has featured three times in League One and once in the Carabao Cup against Charlton.

He has also featured heavily in a rotated EFL Trophy side, playing a key role in wins against AFC Wimbledon, Bromley, and Crystal Palace‘s Under-21s.

Wrexham make move to sign Sammie Szmodics

In what has proved to be a busy mid-season window with both incomings and outgoings, Sammie Szmodics could be the latest player to leave Portman Road.

Football Insider exclusively revealed on 29 January that Wrexham are submitting a bid for Szmodics worth £5million in the hope of prising him away.

Sources say that Ipswich are holding out for a fee of around £6m for Szmodics, who signed a four-year deal when he joined from Blackburn Rovers in 2024.

Derby County have already had a bid rejected by Ipswich for the 30-year-old attacking midfielder, and Wrexham are working on beating the Rams to the deal.

Szmodics has suffered from extensive injury issues in the last year and missed much of the second half of last season as the Tractor Boys were relegated from the Premier League.

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