Leeds United: Ipswich Town showing interest in Sharp

The Portman Road club look ready to bid for Sharp who is six months into a two-year deal at Elland Road but has seen his first-team opportunities limited this season.

United paid around £600,000 to pay up his contract at Southampton and sign the 28-year-old in August but he has made only eight starts since moving to Leeds.

Ipswich strengthened their pool of strikers by taking Noel Hunt on a short-term basis last week, 24 hours after Hunt severed his contract at Elland Road, and the Suffolk club - currently third in the Championship - are now targeting a deal which secures Sharp for the rest of the campaign.

Sharp’s most recent start for Leeds came in their Boxing Day defeat to Wigan Athletic. The striker reacted angrily, kicking a water bottle towards the dug-out, when he was substituted by head coach Neil Redfearn 19 minutes from time.

Speaking at the end of the game, Redfearn said: “I’ve done that myself in the past. I was far worse than Billy when I was a player. I was a nightmare.

“He wants to play, he wants to start and I understand that. But looking at it from my side, it’s important that he understands it’s a team game.

“He’s part of a squad and sometimes you have to change things around to chase a game or do something different.

“I don’t have a problem with it. I’d be disappointed if he wasn’t disappointed about coming off. I don’t see it as a major issue.”

Sharp was named on the bench for last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Bolton Wanderers and despite Ipswich’s interest, he is likely to be included in Redfearn’s squad for Saturday’s match against Birmingham City.

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