Ipswich complete £20m deal for Ghana winger Fatawu

What the report says

BBC Sport reports that Ipswich Town have signed Ghana winger Abdul Fatawu from Leicester City in a deal worth £20m, continuing the club’s summer recruitment ahead of its return to the Premier League. The 22-year-old has agreed a five-year contract at Portman Road and arrives after making 100 appearances for Leicester, scoring 16 goals, since joining the Foxes from Sporting in 2023.

Fatawu, who featured in all four of Ghana’s matches at the World Cup, becomes Ipswich’s fifth signing of the window. BBC Sport says the club previously brought in striker Emersonn from Toulouse for a fee of about £26m, described as a club record, while Cedric Kipre and Chuba Akpom joined permanently after loan spells and goalkeeper Kayne van Oevelen arrived from FC Volendam.

The report also says Ipswich are prepared to let winger Jaden Philogene leave if an acceptable bid is made. The 24-year-old is attracting interest from clubs in Europe, with Bologna, Roma and Benfica believed to be among his admirers.

Fatawu said, in comments reported by BBC Sport, that Ipswich’s ambition appealed to him and that discussions with manager Gary O’Neil had made expectations clear. The transfer is significant because Ipswich are reshaping their squad for top-flight football after finishing second in the Championship last season. They are scheduled to open their Premier League campaign at home to Sunderland on 22 August, while Leicester are preparing for another season in the third tier after relegation from the Championship, according to the BBC report.