Ipswich Town: Blues confirm departure of goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky from Portman Road

Ipswich Town have confirmed the departure of goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky after he was unable to agree new terms at Portman Road.

The 33-year-old shotstopper had been in discussions regarding new terms since January and had said on a number of occasions that he wanted to stay at the club.

However, he and his representatives were unable to agree a new deal with his current contract up yesterday.

A statement on Town’s site said: “Vaclav Hladky has left the club following the expiration of his contract.

“The club thanks Vas for his time at Town, and he departs with our very best wishes for the future.”

The Czech joined Town from Salford in the summer of 2021 and went on to make 70 starts and one sub appearance for the club.

He had been second choice to Christian Walton for most of his time at Portman Road but an injury to Walton saw him start 2023/24 as the regular number one and he earned plaudits for his ability on the ball which helped the side achieve promotion to the Premier League.

Walton could also potentially leave Kieran McKenna’s men while Cieran Slicker has said the next stage of his development is a move on loan with Scottish clubs Kilmarnock, Ross County and Partick Thistle all believed to be keen.

The Blues have been widely linked with Brighton’s Carl Rushworth, while Luton’s Thomas Kaminski could be a target as well.

Hladky’s departure comes as the club welcomes back last season’s loan star Omari Hutchinson on a five-year deal from Chelsea for a new club record fee and introduce Ben Johnson on a four-year deal from West Ham.

Town face Liverpool at home on Saturday, August 17, for their first game of the 2024/2025 campaign.