Ipswich Town defender Luke Garbutt has been opening up about his time on loan with the club so far, with the left-back having arrived at Portman Road on loan from Everton in the summer.

Garbutt has been an instant success at Portman Road, establishing himself as a key member of Paul Lambert's side in recent weeks, and helping the Tractor Boys manage an impressive unbeaten start to the season, which sees them top the table heading into the weekend.

The 26-year-old is embarking on the sixth loan move of his career this season with the Tractor Boys and his Everton contract runs out in the summer, meaning that the defender could well be having to find a permanent home in when the transfer window opens next summer.

Speaking to the East Anglian Daily Times ahead of Sunday's trip to Accrington Stanley, Garbutt suggested that he would be open to making a permanent switch to Ipswich in the summer.

"I've really enjoyed my time here, I've settled in well into the group and the fans are brilliant. Playing in front of 20,000 is what I want to be doing.

"So as long as we keep playing well and doing well as a squad I don't see why I wouldn't stay permanently. I'm settled and enjoying my football."

Here, then we take at TWO reasons why Ipswich should go all out to ensure they manage to get Garbutt on a permanent deal next summer...

Garbutt's attacking output

Having the ability to get forwards on the overlap from full-back and support attacks is vital for any modern day player in that position, and it is a quality which Garbutt certainly possess. The 26-year-old is full of energy and has the quality to provide dangerous deliveries when in good positions.

That was evident by the fact that he has already got three goals to his name this season, having scored on his first two starts away at Burton Albion on the opening day and at home to Sunderland, before firing in an excellent free-kick in Ipswich's 4-1 win against Tranmere Rovers.

It is not just his ability to score goals that makes him an ideal player to recruit permanently, but also his ability to provide quality service from both set-pieces and open play - and that is something that the likes of Ipswich forwards Kayden Jackson and James Norwood, when he returns to fitness, will be able to thrive off as the season progresses.

The relationship he is forming with Ipswich's defence

 

Ipswich's defence was often all over the place last season, with the Tractor Boys shipping 77 league goals on their way to finishing bottom of the Championship, and a main reason for that was the lack of understanding between their defenders, as well as too many individual errors being made across the back four.

However, so far this season Garbutt has slotted in and helped Ipswich become a really solid and compact five-man defensive unit, which has seen the Tractor Boys concede just five league goals in eleven games.

Garbutt has built up a strong connection with the rest of Ipswich's defence, helping out on the cover if needed when one of the centre backs goes out to press the ball, and also filling at the back post to cut out opposing team's crosses into the box - and Lambert's side will not be wanting to lose that by allowing him to leave in the summer.

 

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