‘Mugs’ - Peterborough owner warns Bristol City and Championship over Ipswich Town transfer

Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony have told Bristol City and other Championship clubs they will regret not trying to sign Jack Taylor.

Taylor joined Ipswich Town after a six-month pursuit for an undisclosed fee on Monday evening (June 26). He was the Tractor Boys first signing of the summer transfer window following their promotion to the Championship.

It was reported by Football Insider that Bristol City had been keeping tabs on Taylor, and Bristol Live said that he was ‘considered an option’ but was no longer on the transfer shortlist. Bristol City have been favouring a move for Derby County star Jason Knight, and have already had two bids, up to £1.5m rejected.

Knight - who’s future is yet undecided at Pride Park is on a break, but now Bristol City will have to look at a different alternative if Knight goes elsewhere, or the move doesn’t come off. Taylor’s selling chairman MacAnthony though believes City, and the other 22 teams in the division, may rue their decision to not sign Taylor, and used Brentford star Ivan Toney as a similar example.

In a video posted on his Twitter, MacAnthony said: “Ipswich came back on the scene in June, he’s been their number one target, and as I promised him and his family in January, I facilitated the move, it was the right move for Jack. To be honest with you, I think it’s one of the best deals of the summer, phenomenal bit of business by Ipswich.

“To all those mugs in the Championship who didn’t come in for him. You’ve f***ed up like you did with the Ivan Toney deal a couple of years ago when you could have come in for him and you didn’t.

“He is one of the best centre midfielders outside the Premier League, and I firmly believe he could propel Ipswich on a Premier League promotion push and run. It’s a phenomenal deal for us, it’s a a great deal for Jack. As I promised to him, I stick to my words, my words are my bond, I promised him in January we would do this deal in the summer and we’ve done that.

“I wish him nothing but the best of luck and love to him and his family, he’s been a brilliant player for our football club. I wish Ipswich all the best, I am now a big fan of Ipswich, and hope they get promoted to the Premier League, as it’s worth a lot of money to us as is the big sell-on, as is the great transfer fee.

“To Mark Ashton (CEO) and Luke his sidekick, it’s been great doing a bit of sparring with you, and I look forward to doing more sparring in the future. Enjoy this boy Ipswich fans, this is a proper signing and this will propel you. We wish you nothing but the best as Peterborough we move on, don’t worry Posh fans signings are coming.”

Taylor got eight goals and five assists for the Posh in the 2022/23 season, as he helped them reach the League One play-offs. His experience of the Championship saw him get two goals and an assist in 34 matches, but he suffered relegation with Peterborough in 2022. In his whole career at London Road, he got 20 goals and 12 assists. Peterborough are now hoping to replicate their transfer trick of recruiting players from the lower leagues by signing former Fulham prospect Ryan De Havilland from Barnet, the same club Taylor came from.