Ipswich Town: Mark Ashton makes Norwich City transfer claim - it involves Marcelino Nunez deal | OneFootball

Marcelino Nunez made the switch from Norwich to Ipswich late in the summer window

Ipswich Town CEO Mark Ashton has claimed that the club would not sell a player like Marcelino Nunez to Norwich City if the shoe is ever on the other foot.

The Canaries agreed a deal worth a reported £10 million with their bitter rivals late in the summer window.

The midfielder joined Kieran McKenna’s side after becoming a crucial part of the side at Carrow Road during his time with the Norfolk outfit.

He has since made 10 appearances for the Tractor Boys, including four starts, with the club aiming to earn promotion to the Premier League.

Meanwhile, Norwich are embroiled in a relegation battle, and have opted for a change in manager due to their poor start to the campaign.

Mark Ashton opens up on Norwich City transfer talks

Ashton has claimed that he wasn’t expecting to actually sign Nunez when he first approached rivals Norwich about a potential deal, but that he had come up as a prospective signing from their usual recruitment process.

He’s also admitted that he wouldn’t sanction a sale in the other direction if the shoe is ever on the other foot due to the potential backlash from supporters.

“I’ll have to be careful what I say!” said Ashton at the latest fan’s forum, via TWTD.

“Like any other player, he was a player that came through through the process.

“We made an approach.

“I must admit, when we first discussed it I think my reaction was ‘we won’t get him’.

“I’ll be honest, if it was the other way around I wouldn’t have sold to them.

“I just think it would have been too noisy and I think it would have caused us problems, but the other way around for whatever reason they made the decision to do that deal.

“I think we paid good market price and I think we’ve acquired a very talented young man who’s absolutely buzzing to be here!”

Nunez’s move to Portman Road was the first time since 2001 that a player moved from Norwich to Ipswich, with Andy Marshall being the most recent example prior to last summer.

The Chile international has proved a regular presence in the side since arriving late in the window, featuring in 10 league fixtures for Ipswich.

McKenna’s side are currently seventh in the Championship table, 14 points clear of their rivals Norwich, who are 23rd, but 11 adrift of league leaders Coventry City after 15 games.

Next up for the Tractor Boys is a home clash against Wrexham on 22 November in a 3pm kick-off.

Marcelino Nunez deal was a real coup for Ipswich

Nunez isn’t the most important player in the Ipswich squad by any means, but he’s a proven Championship talent that has added some strong depth to their midfield options.

His arrival has been a boost for McKenna’s team, and is a deal that most supporters will be happy with due to the impact it’s had at Norwich.

The move didn’t sit well with the Canaries’ supporters, so it’s no surprise that Ashton has denied that the Suffolk outfit would do such a deal in the other direction.

It could be another 25 years before we see these teams do any business in the transfer market based on the reaction to Nunez’s switch.