Brentford made an approach to Ipswich Town for Omari Hutchinson on Monday, but fell comfortably short of the winger's release clause, which is now set to expire.
It was revealed on Monday afternoon by Fabrizio Romano that the England under-21 international had emerged as a candidate to replace Bryan Mbeumo at the Gtech Community Stadium in case his move to Manchester United goes through.
Currently, there is still a gap in valuation between Brentford and the Red Devils, and no deal for the Cameroonian is imminent.
While Hutchinson didn't put up the lavish numbers that Mbeumo did last season - five combined goals and assists for the 21-year-old compared to 27 for the Bees' forward - he has shown a lot of promise since his initial loan move to Portman Road from Chelsea at the start of the 23/24 campaign.
Omari Hutchinson's 24/25 Premier League stats
Appearances
Starts
Goals
xG
Assists
Big chances created
Source: Sofascore
That switch was made permanent last summer when Ipswich paid an initial £20 million for Hutchinson, with up to £2.5 million in add-ons.
Ipswich receive Omari Hutchinson boost amid Brentford interest
Since Romano's initial report, it has been stated by The Athletic that Brentford went to Town with a proposal for the winger. He is just one of the candidates they are looking at to potentially replace the Man United target, but they are said to have fallen way short of the £35 million release clause that's currently in his contract.
Hutchinson signed a five-year deal with the Tractor Boys when he re-joined them in the previous summer window. According to The Athletic, the £35 million that a club would currently have to trigger to try and get him away from East Anglia is set to expire today (Tuesday, 15th July), providing further protection for Kieran McKenna's side against any potential suitors.
Omari Hutchinson scores for Ipswich Town vs Man Utd
A move to Brentford is considered to be unlikely for the former Arsenal academy member, as per The Athletic. He is currently still away on holiday following his involvement in the under-21 European Championships in Slovakia this summer.
England defended their title as Hutchinson scored in the final to help Lee Carsley's side to a 3-2 extra-time win over Germany.
Ipswich must remain on their toes with regard to Omari Hutchinson interest
Ipswich can't rest on their laurels yet with the winger. There is interest from other top flight teams like West Ham United, who, like Brentford, see him as a potential successor to their own flair-heavy player, Mohammed Kudus. He has left the Hammers to join Tottenham Hotspur.
Hutchinson's raw ability is clear for all to see, and now that he's got some minutes in the Premier League under his belt he is a much more attractive option to teams in the English first division, where the in thing is to go after players who are proven at the level.
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