£8.5m wanted as recent Ipswich Town loan star draws Aston Villa, Udinese interest
Ipswich Town will not be keeping loan ace Jens Cajuste but Aston Villa and Udinese are keen on the midfielder, as per AreaNapoli.
Ipswich Town are preparing for their Championship return after failing to retain their Premier League status. ITFC fought against the odds to make it to the top flight, but were unable to muster up anywhere near enough points to stay up as they finished 19th.
Nonetheless, the Tractor Boys will now hope they can build for another promotion push under Kieran McKenna.
Relegation means key players could follow Liam Delap out the exit door though, and it has also brought an effective end to the possibility of impressive loan midfielder Jens Cajuste staying put. However, he could have a route back to England this summer.
According to AreaNapoli, recent Ipswich Town loan man Cajuste will be sold by parent club Napoli in the summer transfer window, and Aston Villa are keen.
The Sweden international also has admirers in France, while Serie A outfit Udinese have interest too. A move to the latter is described as ‘difficult’.
Napoli want €10m (around £8.5m) for Cajuste, a little less than the €12m (around £10.2m) buy option ITFC had in the loan deal.
An Ipswich Town shining light
Ipswich Town didn’t have an awful lot to celebrate over the 2024/25 campaign but loan man Cajuste was a definite positive for the Tractor Boys.
His efforts weren’t enough to inspire a survival bid but the defensive midfielder performed well for the majority of his loan spell with the club. As such, it perhaps isn’t surprising he has some decent options available ahead of an expected Napoli exit.
The 25-year-old, who is also eligible for the United States, played 33 times for ITFC across all competitions. He chipped in with one goal and one assist along the way, with his sole strike coming in a 4-2 loss to Nottingham Forest.
Change in McKenna’s midfield?
The midfield department is one that will need work at Ipswich Town this summer.
Massimo Luongo is heading for pastures new, while the loan of Kalvin Phillips is expiring along with Cajuste’s. As it stands, that leaves Sam Morsy, Jack Taylor and Cameron Humphreys as options in the middle.
Even then, Morsy has had interest from elsewhere and could depart. McKenna and his recruitment team could be busy planning a revamp of the midfield ranks before embarking on their Championship return as a result.
