One winner and one loser at Ipswich Town if the club sign ex-Watford defender | OneFootball

Ipswich Town are interested in signing defender Craig Cathcart this summer, according to The Athletic.

The 34-year-old is a free agent now after he was released by Watford upon the expiration of his contract at Vicarage Road.

Cathcart, who came through at Manchester United, joined the Hornets in 2014 on a free transfer from Blackpool.

In his nine years at the club, he played 262 times and notched eight goals. Even in what was his final campaign at the club, the Northern Ireland international still played an important role in Watford’s season, finishing with 28 appearances in the league.

His time in the Championship may not be over, as The Athletic report that Ipswich are ‘one of the teams’ that are keen on the 34-year-old.

Who would benefit at Ipswich Town if the club signed Craig Cathcart?

Here, we have looked at one winner and one loser at Ipswich if the club were to sign Cathcart this summer…

Winner: Luke Wolfenden

Out of every transfer deal that happens, there is always an argument that one player may benefit from this signing and another may not.

In this case, you could argue that Luke Wolfenden would benefit the most if Ipswich were to sign Craig Cathcart in this transfer window.

Wolfenden is a player who has come through the club’s academy and has made it into the first-team set-up.

The 24-year-old has appeared over 150 times for the club and has now become a firm fixture in the club’s starting XI.

Wolfenden played 41 times for the Tractor Boys last season, playing a crucial role in the club’s promotion back to the Championship.

So, heading into the new season, you would expect Wolfenden to continue being a main starter in that centre-back role; it is just who partners him.

If the club were to bring in Cathcart, this could be a big help to a player like Wolfenden, as Cathcart is a player with vast knowledge and experience at this level.

Wolfenden could learn a lot from an experienced pro like Cathcart, and if the duo were partnered together, the 24-year-old could really excel further under Cathcart’s wing.

Ipswich have relatively young defenders, so adding a player like Cathcart into the mix would surely help all of them, but it could really improve Wolfenden’s game even more.

Loser: Janoi Donacien

If Cathcart were to arrive at Portman Road, he is likely to be a player who starts most weeks in the Championship.

Therefore, a player will miss out, and in this case, it could be defender Janoi Donacien.

The 29-year-old has been at Ipswich since 2019, when he joined from Accrington Stanley, and in the four years he has appeared over 100 times for the club.

Donacien played 38 times in League One last season, which may have been more than he expected.

He started the season off in good form, starting nearly every game from August to December.

However, at the turn of the new year, Donacien seemed to lose his starting spot and spent the final few months of the season in and out of the team.

This appeared when Ipswich was hitting a rich vein of form, and now, heading into the 2023/24 season, it is likely he is going to struggle to regain that spot.