The £19m striker transfer target Ipswich Town should stay well clear of – despite goal-scoring form

Ipswich Town have already done something truly remarkable in getting promoted to the Premier League last season, but now the Tractor Boys face an even tougher task – staying there. That will almost certainly necessitate some clever work in the transfer market this summer, and reports suggest that they’ve already identified their first target in the shape of free-scoring Panathinaikos striker Fotis Ioannidis.

Ipswich reportedly had a €22.5m (£19m) bid turned down by the Greek side for their 24-year-old international striker, who scored 23 goals in 44 matches for his club last season and netted twice for the national side, including a goal against France. An improved bid may well be forthcoming, but Ipswich could face some stiff competition – both West Ham United and Portuguese champions Sporting have been rumoured to be looking at a bid, with the latter recently suggested by Portuguese media outlet O Jogo to be Ioannidis’ own preferred destination. In other words, Ipswich may well miss out on their man.

Ioannidis hasn’t been doing much missing over the past year. Never prolific before the 2023/24 season – his best return before the recent campaign was seven goals in 42 games – something clicked for the striker this year and he was suddenly scoring goals he may not even have contemplated beforehand. His first touch, movement and passing have all improved considerably, too, and he also picked up seven assists, mostly by dropping deep to come and find possession and sliding his fellow strikers in to score.