Ipswich Town Rebuffed by Premier League Club in Approach for Potential New First Choice Goalkeeper
Ipswich Town have been dealt a blow in their search for a new first-choice goalkeeper after they failed to agree on terms with Brighton over a move for goalkeeper Carl Rushworth with the Tractor Boys seeking a permanent deal for the talented shot-stopper.
Rushworth has returned to Brighton after a loan spell at Swansea last season seen him appear in all of the club’s 46 Championship outings, keeping nine clean sheets. The goalkeeper has had spells on loan in League One and League Two in recent seasons and his potential has caught the eye of Kieran McKenna after their promotion to the Premier League.
Premier League Move on the Cards After Successful EFL Loan Spells
Carl Rushworth signed a new four-year deal at Brighton before joining Swansea on loan last summer. The England under-21 international instantly became the first choice at Swansea and started each of the club’s league games and retained his place despite the change in manager during the campaign.
Alan Sheehan replaced Michael Duff on a short-term basis after Duff was sacked in December, before Notts County’s head coach Luke Williams took the reigns in January 2024. It was a difficult campaign for the 2013 Carabao Cup champions and they finished in 14th place in the second tier.
However, the development of Rushworth was clear with his shot-stopping reactions from close range a leading attribute in his game. His average of over 2.2 shots per game saved from within the penalty area had him ranked in the top three of all regular goalkeepers in the Championship in 2023/24.
The 23-year-old’s spell in the second tier follows an impressive temporary move to Lincoln City in 2022/23. His 19 clean sheets in 42 appearances were only bettered by James Trafford and Christian Walton that season, both of whom were first-choice for clubs that reached the play-offs and achieved automatic promotion respectively.
The goalkeeper ranked in the top ten of all goalkeepers in League One for shots saved inside the penalty area and for saves in the six-yard box per game. His first taste of senior football was with Walsall in League Two in 2021/22, where he kept 13 clean sheets in 46 appearances in all competitions.
Ipswich Town Unable to Convince Brighton of a Permanent Deal
According to Alan Nixon, the Seagulls would only agree to a loan move as the club views him as a potential full England international and is not willing to let him leave on a permanent deal. The deal has now been halted by Brighton and it is unclear if both clubs will return to the negotiating table.
It would seem that a potential sell-on clause or significant add-ons related to progress might help to move Brighton from their current stance but with the Premier League campaign only a few weeks away from commencing, Ipswich Town may decide to move on having lost first-choice goalkeeper Václav Hladky, as the 33-year-old turned down a new deal with the Tractor Boys.
Ipswich Town have recruited well in the summer transfer window with Omari Hutchinson, Jacob Greaves, Liam Delap and Ben Johnson all arriving on permanent deals. The club will need to continue their search for a new first-choice goalkeeper as Christian Walton has not had regular game time since they secured promotion from League One in 2022/23 and 21-year-old Cieran Slicker does not have enough experience.
Carl Rushworth, who was part of the England under-21 squad that was crowned European Championship in 2023 after beating Spain 1-0 in the final, has the attributes required to play in the Premier League but Brighton are in a strong position regarding the length of the player’s contract and there are likely to be other clubs in the second tier interested in securing him on a loan deal.
