Ipswich Town will conclude their Premier League campaign with a home game against West Ham on Sunday afternoon (Image: Ross Halls)
Ipswich Town will conclude their Premier League campaign with a home game against West Ham on Sunday afternoon (Image: Ross Halls)
With the Premier League season wrapping up this weekend, Alex Jones shares his thoughts on the latest Ipswich Town transfer rumours.
Potential departures
Manchester United are pushing to sign Liam Delap
Manchester United are pushing to sign Liam Delap
(Image: Ross Halls)
Liam Delap
This is, unfortunately, a transfer saga that will rumble on for a little while at least. Once again, we’ve had an update on Liam Delap’s future, but further progress is likely to come after the end of the season.
The Athletic have reported that Ipswich allowed Delap to travel to Manchester for face-to-face discussions with Manchester United executives - which we believe took place last week - giving him a taste of what a move to Old Trafford would entail.
The 22-year-old is said to be leaning towards joining the Red Devils, but keeping his options open and will engage in talks with every interested party before making a decision about where his future lies.
Chelsea, Newcastle United and other Premier League sides are still keen on signing him, with his relegation release clause of £30m likely to be triggered after Sunday’s home game against West Ham.
Verdict: My gut says that, despite claims that he will take his time to decide on a summer transfer, this will be wrapped up early in the transfer window. Delap will represent England at Euro U21 this summer and, like Ipswich, will surely want to get everything sorted as soon as possible.
With Manchester United losing last night's Europa League final, they won't play in any European competitions next season, so I would be very surprised if he does end up at Old Trafford.
Cameron Burgess is out of contract at Ipswich this summer
Cameron Burgess is out of contract at Ipswich this summer
(Image: Ross Halls)
Cameron Burgess
Already linked with Girona in Spain, defender Cameron Burgess is coming to the end of his contract at Ipswich. The club are in talks about a new deal, with Town keen on keeping him, but there will surely need to be certain assurances about game time, with Jacob Greaves competing with him to start at left centre-back.
Scottish giants Rangers are now in the race to sign him, according to Rangers Review. The Glasgow-based side, who finished second in the league behind arch-rivals Celtic this season, are currently without a manager, with Davide Ancelotti, Russell Martin and Steven Gerrard the favourites for the vacancy.
The Gers will be able to offer European football, entering the Champions League at the second qualifying round next season, and will look to challenge for the Scottish Premiership title. Burgess has primarily played at the lower end of the English football pyramid in his career and may be keen for a new challenge.
Having grown up in Scotland before moving to Australia, the 29-year-old had a brief spell north of the border with Ross County in 2015, although he never played for them during his loan spell. He will hope to feature for the Socceroos at the 2026 World Cup next summer.
He wasn’t named in Town’s squad for Sunday’s 2-0 defeat to Leicester City, which manager Kieran McKenna revealed was due to a hamstring injury.
Verdict: This one, in my eyes, makes a lot of sense. Burgess knows that, with Greaves ahead of him in the pecking order, he may not get regular football at Portman Road next season.
At 29, he won’t have many big moves ahead of him, and the chance to compete for league titles and play in Europe will surely appeal to him. Coming from a reliable source, I could certainly see the centre-back at Ibrox, although I’d be sad to see him leave Suffolk.
Leif Davis signed a new long-term deal in October 2024
Leif Davis signed a new long-term deal in October 2024
(Image: Ross Halls)
Leif Davis
TWTD have said that Nottingham Forest are 'keeping tabs' on left-back Leif Davis heading into the summer transfer window.
Their report explains that the Reds 'showed strong interest' in him back in January 2024 and are now interested in signing him this summer ahead of a return to European football next season.
The 25-year-old penned a new contract back in October 2024, running for four years. He has registered one goal and two assists in the Premier League this campaign, but admitted that he has been disappointed by his performances and felt low on confidence.
Verdict: Davis himself has spoken openly about this season, saying that the step up to the Premier League may have come to soon for him. As a result, I can't see him pushing for a move this summer, and Ipswich will have no interest in selling unless a significant fee is offered.
I don't believe Forest will do that, even with European football. Neco Williams is thriving at left-back, even though it's not his natural position, and I think Nuno's side will look to bring in someone with more experience if they do look to strengthen.
Potential signings
Harry Darling is out of contract at Swansea City this summer
Harry Darling is out of contract at Swansea City this summer (Image: PA)
Harry Darling
Town are one of a handful of clubs keen on signing Swansea City defender Harry Darling, according to the Swansea Independent.
A Cambridge United academy graduate, Darling worked his way into the U’s team after four non-league loan spells, quickly becoming a key player before departing for MK Dons. He then followed manager Russell Martin to Swansea in 2022, quickly adapting to life in the Championship.
Having registered five goals and three assists from centre-back, the Swans are desperate to keep the 25-year-old, who is out of contract in South Wales this summer. They have offered him a new deal, but he may choose to explore his options and move on in the coming weeks.
Ipswich, alongside Southampton, Leicester City, Sheffield United, Wrexham and Birmingham, are apparently all eyeing up a move.
Verdict: Darling fits the profile of an Ipswich signing. He’s from East Anglia, has worked his way up the football pyramid and is the right age to develop. However, with so many clubs linked, it does feel like it could be an agent-driven story. Sheffield United, for example, still don’t know what league they will be in next season.
If Burgess leaves, Darling would be a suitable replacement. Although he is right-footed, he plays on the left side of Swansea’s defence. Would he be happy with limited minutes behind Greaves though? I’m not so sure.
Could Town recruit from abroad ahead of their Championship return?
Could Town recruit from abroad ahead of their Championship return? (Image: PA)
Willem Geubbels
According to German outlet Berliner Kurier, Ipswich are in the race to sign St. Gallen striker Willem Geubbels.
Born in France, Geubbels came through the ranks at Lyon before joining AS Monaco for a reported fee of €20m and going out on loan to Nantes. He opted to move away from Ligue 1 in search of regular football, moving to Switzerland in 2023.
He did well in his first full campaign with St. Gallen, but this season has seen him reach new heights, notching 17 goals and three assists in all competitions. As a result, Town have been linked with a move for him, but reportedly face fierce competition from Leeds United and Union Berlin.
The 23-year-old’s release clause is understood to be just £4.6m, making him one of the big names in the transfer market this summer.
Verdict: Geubbels is another who fits what Town would want. He’s young, around 6’1 and surprisingly quick for his size. He has a good record in front of goal but is yet to test himself in a top European league. There are clearly more pros than cons when looking at his profile.
Whether the Blues are genuinely interested in him to replace Delap remains to be seen, but I think he’s more likely to move to Leeds based on reports. That being said, he's the nephew of former defender Kelly Youga - Mick McCarthy's first signing at Ipswich - which could be a factor.
Ben Godfrey has played just 159 minutes for Ipswich this season
Ben Godfrey has played just 159 minutes for Ipswich this season
(Image: Ross Halls)
Ben Godfrey
SportsBoom have claimed that Ipswich want to sign Ben Godfrey on a permanent deal this summer.
The versatile defender is currently on loan at Portman Road from Serie A side Atalanta, who hardly played him in the first half of the season. Godfrey was thrown in at the deep end in Suffolk, clearly lacking match minutes.
After a tough start, he has struggled for minutes, falling behind Axel Tuanzebe and Dara O’Shea in the pecking order.
SportsBoom claim that Godfrey is looking to move back to England after a nightmare spell in Italy, with Wolves and Nottingham Forest also interested in him.
Verdict: This may look like a complete non-starter, and the source certainly doesn’t stand out as a reliable one, but I wouldn’t totally rule out Godfrey’s return to Suffolk.
He clearly has no future at Atalanta and McKenna signed him for a reason. Even though he’s not up to speed for the Premier League, a season in the Championship would surely do him a lot of good and he’d be a top player level.
If Tuanzebe departs this summer, I think Town could do a lot worse than bringing Godfrey back as his replacement.
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