Scotland Under-21 goalkeeper Jonathan Henly has signed for Championship outfit Ipswich Town following his release from Reading earlier this summer.
The 21-year-old has been on trial at Portman Road since the start of the month, with personal clean sheets in two Under-21 matches enough for manager Mick McCarthy to offer him a deal.
Henly has signed a one-year contract with the Tractor Boys, and although he’ll play third fiddle to first-choice stoppers Bartosz Bialkowski and Dean Gerken, the Scot was upbeat about heading to Suffolk – as per the East Anglian Daily Times:
“Shortly after I arrived at Ipswich, I knew that it was a good fit, which is important for my personal development. Joining Ipswich is definitely the right move for me, and I look forward to working with Mick and his coaching staff over the course of this season to help take my game to the next level.”
McCarthy himself revealed Henly’s permanent switch at a press conference on Thursday and also told reporters that he’d offered 20-year-old striker James Alabi a contract.
Alabi, who was formerly on Stoke City’s books, has also been in action for Ipswich Town’s Under-21s, scoring two goals in as many games.
First-team chances will undoubtedly be few and far between for the London-born forward with the likes of Freddie Sears, David McGoldrick, Daryl Murphy and Brett Pitman for competition, yet he’s still expected to put pen to paper.
As for transfers elsewhere, McCarthy is still chasing a versatile defender to add one of the remaining pieces to his squad puzzle, yet the ongoing saga with Hearts’ Jordan McGhee appears to have hit a brick wall.
