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

Ipswich Town are reportedly in ‘very advanced talks’ to sign Stade Rennais midfielder Azor Matusiwa.

Le Parisien have claimed that the Dutchman is closing in on a move to Portman Road, having signed for Rennes from Ligue 1 rivals Reims for a fee of €16m back in January 2024.

L’Equipe have sinced back up the report, claiming that a fee of €11.5m (just under £10m) has been agreed between the two clubs.

The 27-year-old wasn’t involved in Rennes’ friendly match against Saint-Brieuc this morning, further fueling speculation about a potential departure.

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Manager Habib Beye, who was appointed back in January, has apparently been unable to give him assurances on game time, saying that he is ‘on the way out’ following the aforementioned pre-season clash.

Matusiwa is a graduate of Ajax’s academy, having spent time at De Graafschap and Groningen before moving to France back in 2021. He featured 29 times for Rennes in Ligue 1 last season, registering one goal and three assists as they finished 12th.

Alex’s verdict

Another one that comes from a seemingly reliable source. Ipswich probably need at least two new midfielders, and Matusiwa would be a strong addition in the Championship.

€11.5m would be a good fee. I initially thought that Reims would want to recoup what they initially spent on him, but that seemingly isn’t the case.

At 5’8′, he doesn’t add height in the centre of the park, but he brings aggression and experience of playing at a high level. He primarily plays on the right side of the midfield duo, ranking highly for passing and defensive numbers in the French top flight.

The Blues haven’t focused much on foreign recruitment in recent years, but this could signal a change in approach.