Newly promoted Ipswich Town have started strengthening their squad ahead of their return to the Premier League for the 2026/27 season by securing the services of loan stars, defender Cedric Kipre and forward Chuba Akpom.
Promotion triggered clauses to join on a permanent basis
Both players had clauses in their contracts that saw them join the Suffolk outfit if Town won promotion to the English top flight.
Ivory Coast international Kipre has joined the Tractor Boys for an undisclosed fee from French outfit Reims, while Akpom has reportedly cost Ipswich £7m, having arrived from Dutch giants Ajax.
Both players will sign three-year contracts in July. The signings are likely to be just the start for Ipswich after their promotion to the Premier League.
The pair enjoyed mixed fortunes last season
The pair actually enjoyed mixed fortunes last season. Kipre was a key player for the team, making 32 appearances at the heart of the defence. He also contributed at the other end of the pitch, scoring three goals and producing two assists.
Akpom played a more peripheral role in the promotion campaign. Although he made 29 Championship appearances, only seven of those came from the start, and he scored just two goals. That record is poor for an attacking player, and it could be argued that the Tractor Boys wouldn’t have chosen to pursue the £7m deal for the 30-year-old.
Looking to avoid an instant return to the Championship
Ipswich will look to add enough quality to their squad this summer in order to avoid an instant return to the Championship next season. The last time the Suffolk club earned promotion to the English top-flight, they stayed just one season before relegation back to the second tier.
Ipswich’s recruitment needs to be spot-on this summer as they look to improve on their last Premier League campaign, which ultimately ended in major disappointment and the loss of talented young stars such as Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson.