Ipswich Town are now in talks to sign a "fantastic" midfielder who manager Kieran McKenna is a big admirer of, chairman Mark Ashton has revealed.
Ipswich preparing for life in the Championship
It was always going to be a tall order for Ipswich to avoid relegation from the Premier League, but much like when Burnley went down under Sean Dyche the first time around, Ipswich seemingly think they can come straight back up if they stick by their manager.
However, there are now some doubts surrounding McKenna's future at Portman Road, with widespread reports suggesting the 39-year-old could be Brentford's first-choice target to replace Thomas Frank, should the Danish manager complete a move to Tottenham Hotspur.
Having led the Tractor Boys to back-to-back promotions, it will be a difficult task to find an heir to the Englishman, while signing a replacement for Liam Delap could also be tricky, given the 22-year-old managed to score an impressive 12 goals in his debut Premier League campaign.
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Middlesbrough's Emmanuel Latte Lath is one of the targets to replace Delap at striker, but Ashton has revealed that Ipswich are also looking to reinforce their midfield this summer.
The chairman has now confirmed that talks have been held over a deal for former loanee Jens Cajuste, saying: "Jens is a loan player who I think has done really well for us.
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Kieran McKenna could now look to get rid of this Ipswich Town star ahead of the new Championship campaign.
"He's had some challenges with injury this season, which have been well documented.
"Our conversations with Jens are ongoing. A deal for Jens to be here for the long term, it would need to be something that's right for us, him and his club - and that dialogue continues."
Mckenna has also admitted he's a big fan of the midfielder, adding: "We've loved having Jens here, but there's probably a lot to do for that to happen. We'll see what the next few weeks brings."
"Fantastic" Cajuste could be real coup for Ipswich
The Ipswich boss was clearly impressed by the Swedish midfielder's performances last season, praising him for showing "fantastic character" against Nottingham Forest in April, and given that the manager knows the 25-year-old very well, he could be an ideal signing.
Not only does the £35k-a-week maestro have Premier League experience, but he has previously featured regularly for Napoli in Serie A and Reims in Ligue 1, so the Tractor Boys securing a permanent deal could be a real statement of intent.
McKenna certainly knows what it takes to win promotion, and the signing of Cajuste could fuel his side's Championship title bid next season, although Luton Town suffering back-to-back relegations to League 1 should serve as a warning to not get carried away.