Ipswich Town have wasted little time preparing for their return to the Premier League, with the Tractor Boys already investing heavily in an attempt to avoid an immediate return to the Championship.
The club have brought in Issa Diop and Sasa Lukic from Fulham, Florentino from Burnley, Abdul Fatawu from Leicester City, Daizen Maeda and Chuba Akpom, among others.
Their spending has now climbed to around £109 million, but Ipswich appear far from finished.
Another sizeable investment could now be on the cards as they target an experienced international midfielder.
Ipswich Submit Bid for Palacios
Ipswich Town have made a £17 million bid for Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Exequiel Palacios, according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg.
The 27-year-old – described as “quality” by former Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso – has emerged as a target for the newly promoted side as they look to add further quality and experience to their midfield ahead of their Premier League campaign.
Palacios is an established Argentina international, having collected 41 caps and been part of the squad that lifted the 2022 World Cup. He also featured in Argentina’s run to the World Cup final this summer.
The midfielder has built an impressive résumé at Leverkusen, making 130 starts and 55 substitute appearances, including 17 Champions League outings. Xabi Alonso has previously described Palacios as a “quality” player.
The Argentine is believed to be keen on a move to England and has made his desire to leave Leverkusen known. However, his current contract runs until 2030, giving the Bundesliga club considerable negotiating power.
And Ipswich have already discovered just how difficult it may be to prise him away.
Leverkusen have rejected an offer worth around €20m (£17m), with their internal assessment reportedly being that the proposal was “far too low.” Talks are currently on hold, although Palacios’ desire to move to the Premier League could keep the door open for further negotiations.
His previous campaign was disrupted by an adductor problem, limiting him to just 12 Bundesliga starts, but Ipswich clearly remain interested in adding his experience to their ambitious new-look squad.
