Ipswich Town general manager of football operations Lee O'Neill has suggested that the club could cash in on some their promising young players, amid speculation over the futures of Luke Woolfenden and Flynn Downes.

Woolfenden has been a key part of Paul Lambert's defence during the first half of the campaign, with the 21-year-old making 19 appearances in League One so far this season, and helping the Tractor Boys concede the joint fewest amount of goals so far with 22 shipped in their opening 23 games.

Downes, meanwhile, has also been an integral part of the Tractor Boys' bid to launch a promotion challenge this term, with the 20-year-old scoring one goal and providing one assist in 18 League One appearances, with the midfielder's quality in possession key to helping Lambert's side play to their best.

The performances of both Downes and Woolfenden have been attracting the interest of other sides, with the likes of Championship sides Fulham and Queens Park Rangers being linked with respective moves for the players this month.

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Speaking to the East Anglian Daily Times, O'Neill suggested that the club could be open to selling some of their young players, but only if they recieve the right kind of offers in the transfer window.

"We want to keep hold of our better players and our younger players as long as possible to try and give us the ability to go to the next level. If it's right in a business sense, and provides the chance for reinvestment in the future, it's something we will look at. But ideally we would like to keep them at the football club as long as possible."

The Verdict

O'Neill's comments will not inspire Ipswich supporters with confidence that the club are trying to keep hold of their most promising young players this January, with moves for either Woolfenden or Downes not exactly being ruled out, although the club will only be likely to sell if they get high offers for the pair.

Both players have been instrumental to Ipswich making a strong start to the season during the first months of the campaign, but following the Tractor Boys' dip in form over the last few games there could be more willingness to allow them to leave to raise funds to allow Lambert to strengthen the squad.

Having just signed a new deal, though, Lambert will not be wanting to lose some of his most important players in the transfer window, and the Tractor Boys' hopes of getting back to their best form could well rest on whether they manage to keep hold of their best players this month.