Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna on Portsmouth and Motherwell loans

The left-sider has impressed during a temporary stay at Scottish top flight club Motherwell, winning two player-of-the-month awards, with the deal expiring during the January window. 

A permanent switch to Fir Park is likely to be a possibility for a player whose Ipswich deal, signed in the summer of 2021, expires at the end of this season. 

“Matt’s loan expires in the middle of January, so for the moment he’s playing and playing an important role and doing well there,” McKenna said.

“That’s good to see and he’ll see out that loan move. We’ll have those discussions in a few weeks’ time with him about what the next step is.” 

Also out on loan is striker Joe Pigott, who was ineligible to play against the Blues when McKenna took his side to Portsmouth recently, for a game which ended in a 2-2 draw. 

Pompey sacked boss Danny Cowley on Monday night, with Pigott struggling for regular football under his former manager, as part of a loan deal which includes no recall clause on Ipswich’s side. 

“We got to speak to Joe a little bit at the game the other night, which was nice,” the Town boss said, after the striker spent time talking with his former team-mates after the game at Fratton Park. 

"There’s no recall clause in the contract from the club’s point of view and we’ve not had any contact or heard anything to the contrary. 

“We’re disappointed for Joe in terms of how many minutes he’s played because he’s a very good player and a very good person. It was a season where we really wanted him to get first-team football. 

“We wouldn’t usually have let him go on loan to a divisional rival but Joe felt like it was such a good opportunity for him to go and play games at a big football club, so from a personal point of view we were willing to give him that opportunity. 

“Knowing Joe he’ll be working hard and competing very hard in training to get more opportunities in the second half of the season. That’s what we hope for for him.”