After twenty-eight days of the window, reported by Jon Waldron in the Colchester Gazette and Stuart Watson in the East Anglian Daily Times, Colchester United have been linked with Ipswich Town midfielder Finley Barbrook on a loan deal until the end of the season.
This news marks Colchester’s second piece of business, with only Nottingham Forest loanee Josh Powell heading out the exit door so far, due to budget restrictions this January.
In recent weeks, Colchester United have struggled in midfield, with right-back Rob Hunt shifting into the central defensive midfield role following Teddy Bishop’s injury picked up versus Milton Keynes Dons and Ben Perry’s long-term ACL injury keeping him out of action for the full season.
Cowley explicitly stated in a pre-match interview that he hoped to bring in a central midfielder and a left-back in on loan before the deadline day window approaches, as the current rotation of Hunt and Gape doesn’t seem particularly effective to suit any play-off hopes.
Barbrook spent the first half of the campaign at Lincoln City, where he exclusively featured in the EFL Trophy, before being recalled by the Tractor Boys.
He recently featured on the bench for Ipswich for their FA Cup tie against Blackpool. Barbrook’s one and only appearance for Ipswich came in August versus Bromley FC.
Prior to a loan spell at Lincoln City, Barbrook enjoyed two separate loan spells in non-league.
Firstly, a season-long loan at fellow Essex-based outfit Chelmsford City, featuring on thirty-two occasions, before spending last campaign on a season-long loan spell with National League side Sutton United, becoming a mainstay in their starting eleven, featuring forty-three times.
Across academy football, Barbrook’s bagged three goals throughout five PL2 appearances, and that tied alongside over seventy senior games over three years, this transfer certainly could bolster Colchester United’s playoff hopes going into the final few months.
