Ipswich Town to receive transfer blow as Kieran McKenna target closes in on €7.5m Besiktas switch

Ipswich Town will not bring Jens Cajuste back to the club after Besiktas agreed a deal with Napoli to sign the midfielder.

25-year-old Cajuste joined the Tractor Boys on loan from the Italian giants last summer, and whilst the campaign ended in disappointment, as Kieran McKenna’s team were relegated from the Premier League, he did impress.

After a slow start, the 25-cap Swedish international established himself as a key figure in the XI, and his all-round game made him a firm favourite at Portman Road.

Ipswich Town miss out on Jens Cajuste transfer as Besiktas agree €7.5m deal

Therefore, it’s no surprise that Ipswich were looking to bring Cajuste back to the club, with CEO Mark Ashton confirming that they were trying to do a deal, even if he acknowledged it would be difficult.

However, McKenna and the Suffolk outfit will be forced to look elsewhere, as Fabrizio Romano revealed that Besiktas are set to sign Cajuste from Napoli in a transfer that will eventually be worth €7.5 million (£6.4 million).

According to Romano, a deal has been agreed for an initial €1 million loan fee plus a €6.5 million buy clause, which will become obligatory under “certain conditions”. It’s said that Napoli have given Cajuste the green light to travel over to Turkey for a medical ahead of the completion of his move.

Ipswich Town need midfield reinforcements ahead of the new season

This is a blow for Ipswich as Cajuste is a classy player, and you would have expected him to be a standout performer in the Championship.

Realistically, even though they could’ve afforded the fee, it was always going to be hard to convince the player to drop to the second tier, especially as he was going to have offers from clubs in top divisions across Europe.

Ultimately, it seems Besiktas have won the race for his signature, and the appeal of the Istanbul giants is obvious, especially as they are in Europe this season.

With that in mind, you would expect Ipswich to have alternative options lined up, and fans will be hoping that they can move swiftly on those targets.

Along with a new striker, bringing in a midfielder has to be a priority, as whilst McKenna has a talented group, they are lacking depth in the middle of the park, and you would expect a new addition to come straight into the XI.

So, it will be interesting to see who they manage to bring in ahead of the new season, which begins for Ipswich on August 8 at Birmingham City in what will be a real test for the team.