Ipswich Town goalkeeper Christian Walton is still on course to return to Brighton & Hove Albion this month, according to The Sun journalist Alan Nixon.

The shot-stopper was initially linked with a move back to the Amex Stadium in December as the Premier League side were looking into the possibility of selling him following a recall.

Walton's contract at Brighton is set to expire this summer and thus this particular transfer window represents the final chance that the club will get to secure a reasonable fee for him.

The keeper joined Ipswich on a season-long loan deal in August and has gone on to play regularly for the club in League One in recent months.

During his stint with the Tractor Boys, the keeper has made 12 appearances at this level whilst he has also featured on four occasions in the FA Cup.

Having missed Ipswich's clash with Wycombe Wanderers last week, Walton may have now played his final game for the club.

As per a report from Nixon, Brighton are set to recall the keeper from his loan spell at Ipswich this month.

The Verdict

If Walton leaves Ipswich, this will be a significant blow for the club as the shot-stopper has produced some encouraging performances at this level this season.

As well as claiming two clean-sheets in the third-tier, Walton has averaged a respectable WhoScored match rating of 6.61 at this level.

With the keeper seemingly set to return to Brighton, Ipswich will need Vaclav Hladky to step up to the mark in their upcoming fixtures.

Although Hladky now knows exactly what it takes to compete in this division due to the fact that he has featured on 14 occasions for Ipswich in the third-tier, Kieran McKenna may need to draft in a goalkeeper who is capable of providing the 31-year-old with some competition.

Providing that McKenna is able to secure the services of a keeper who has a proven track-record of delivering the goods at this level, there is no reason why the Tractor Boys cannot go on to reach new heights under his guidance in the coming months.