As The Pitch Prospect has learned, Ipswich are confident of winning the race for Hull star Jaden Philogene.
The Tractor Boys are looking to sign talented winger and Tigers teammate Jacob Greaves in a double deal worth around £35 million.
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West Ham and Everton are also interested in Philogene, while Greaves has already been given permission to undergo a medical at Portman Road.
Ipswich are looking to strengthen their squad after securing promotion to the Premier League – their second promotion in two seasons under Kieran McKenna.
Having already signed Ben Johnson from West Ham and Omari Hutchinson in a blockbuster deal from Chelsea, Greaves would provide another option in central defence.
After making his first-team breakthrough at Cheltenham, Greaves moved to Hull in 2020 and has since made 177 appearances as a left-back.
Philogene, on the other hand, is a product of Aston Villa’s youth system and was loaned to Cardiff and Stoke City before joining Hull last summer for an undisclosed fee.
Since then, he has scored 12 goals for the Tigers – including a goal of the century against Rotherham United.
While interest from the Premier League is increasing, there are reports that Barcelona are also interested in a spectacular move to the Nou Camp.
Speaking to The Pitch Prospect, Hull City president Acun Ilicali admitted that he would never stand in the way of anyone asking him to leave the club.
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When asked if Barca was really interested in Philogene, Acun replied: “Yes, that’s all true. But I told my fans that I will not sign anyone.”
“My idea in football is not to make money, my idea is to build a stronger and bigger club. But building a bigger club is sometimes a different matter when a player says: ‘I want to leave.’
“For me, a player transfer is not the end of the world. But I would never want my players to limit their careers or their transfers because of a contract I have.
“So in this case, if Jaden wants to move and says he wants to go somewhere, there’s not much we can do because his life is at stake.
“I love all my boys, I’m responsible for their careers. So they don’t have to play with us if they don’t want to play with us.”
Ipswich kick off the season on Saturday 17 August with a home game against Liverpool – exclusively live on The Pitch Prospect.