Ipswich Town: Blues in ‘very advanced talks’ for Rennes’ Azor Matusiwa.

Ipswich Town are apparently in’very advanced talks’ to recruit Azor Matusiwa, a midfielder at Stade Rennais.

According to Le Parisien, the Dutchman is close to a move to Portman Road after joining Rennes from Ligue 1 rivals Reims for €16 million in January 2024. L’Equipe has since confirmed the rumour, reporting that a cost of €11.5 million (just under £10 million) has been negotiated between the two clubs. The 27-year-old did not play in Rennes’ friendly against Saint-Brieuc this morning, fuelling talk over his likely move.

Follow your club throughout the preseason. Exclusive coverage is now only £6 for six months. Manager Habib Beye, who was appointed in January, has supposedly been unable to provide him any assurances about game time, claiming that he is ‘on his way out’ following the aforementioned pre-season clash.

Matusiwa is an Ajax academy graduate who formerly played for De Graafschap and Groningen before heading to France in 2021. He appeared 29 times for Rennes in Ligue 1 last season, scoring one goal and providing three assists as they finished 12th.

Alex’s verdict. Another one from a fairly credible source. Ipswich probably need at least two new midfielders, and Matusiwa would be a valuable addition to the Championship. €11.5 million would be an appropriate fee.

I assumed Reims would want to repay their initial investment in him, but this does not appear to be the case. At 5’8′, he does not contribute height to the centre of the park, but he does bring aggression and experience playing at a top level.

He primarily plays on the right side of the midfield tandem, where he ranks highly in passing and defensive statistics in the French top division.

The Blues haven’t put much emphasis on overseas recruits in recent years, but this could indicate a shift in strategy.

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