Ipswich Town transfer talk: Azeez update, Chaplin’s Championship interest… and Dan Neil to Spain?!

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0:38Hello everybody, it's me Roscoe and here we are again with Itchristown Transfer Talk, the show where you keep you up to speed on the transfer links, the rumours running.

0:47Ross Halls:Itchristown, I'm joined as always, I hope, for this series in Alex Jones, my friend. The transfer window still hasn't opened yet. It's the 21st of May as we record this. This will likely go out on Friday afternoon. So there's no other links as we record this. But yeah, how are you? Yeah, I'm good. It's a weird point in the summer, isn't it? Where town have been done for the best part now of three weeks. We've had Spygate. We've had the playoffs, which feels like it's gone on for ages. The Premier League is still going until the end of the week. And then you've got all the other teams and leagues in Europe that are still going on.

1:26Spain will go on and second-tier playoffs and all sorts. There's plenty to get stuck into with that. And it doesn't feel like until that's all done that focus will fully shift, at least, onto the transfer window. And then we've got the World Cup. My God, plenty to get stuck into with that. But we're in this weird period now where things are starting to drip through. There is noise. The football world of transfers doesn't sleep. It doesn't stop. So even in what has been quite a quiet week in the transfer universe, there's still plenty to get stuck into and to discuss. Yes, and it's pretty much familiar names that have been linked.

2:06But yeah, the transfer window opens officially on the 15th of June and it will run until the 31st of August, 2026. So yeah, still got a few more weeks until it officially opens. But some players can sign if they're free agents or whatever. yeah we've already seen stuff like that happen already AJ shall we start with a potential incoming but also it's been shut down pretty quickly and that is Femi Aziz who fans will know of obviously a Millwall star a 24 year old winger town had interested him in January a bid was rejected it would have been a record sale for Millwall if it did go through keep on speed on that one And yeah, Femi Aziz, a right winger.

2:52We've got plenty of those, but he's a position town are going to strengthen him. Yeah, I think with how that position is looking at the moment, it's an area that Ipswich are going to want to strengthen going into the Premier League. You can probably say that going into every position that they'll look at recruiting and bolstering the squad. And you can see why Femi Aziz is an attractive option with the fact that town have been there before and that they've scouted him. They know what he brings. They know the profile, the fact that he's bagged 11 goals, seven assists in the championship last season, having kind of come from, I wouldn't say maybe relative obscurity feels harsh, but he didn't exactly pull up any trees, I'd say, when he was at Reading.

3:35And Millwall have developed him really nicely into a player who you'd think could handle the Premier League well. And there's no surprise that there is Premier League interest that goes beyond Ipswich from what we've seen. that being said there was the report that came from Alan Nixon transfer expert over the weekend that said that Ipswich would be back into in the race trying to sign him this summer been cottoned on to by a few other outlets who've kind of pushed that side of things but as far as we know from who we've spoken to and reached out to it's not a deal that Ipswich are going to look to pursue this summer now the caveat is things can change if you're first, second, third choice targets all move on, then who knows where Femi Aziz would kind of list there.

4:20But he's not one that Ipswich are looking to sign at the moment. I think they're more likely to, from the conversations we've had, look at the foreign markets, which I'm sure a lot of fans would be quite keen on. But look, he's a top championship player. I'm sure that he will get a big move this summer now that Millwall have fallen short in the playoffs. But as things stand, it's not going to be to Portman Road. No, and he is destined, though, surely, maybe to the Premier League. I'm sure Millwall, hopefully, are going to be in for the race again for promotion. I'm sure they'll strengthen with Alex Neal.

4:54He's done a really good job there, obviously missing out, losing to Hull in the playoff semis. But he's proven he's one of the best championship players this year. As you mentioned, 11 goals, 7 assists. What's next for him, do you think? Do you think he will stay at Millwall, or could Denham Premier League club look at him? I think that Millwall would likely see this as there's kind of a cycle of football teams especially when you're in the championship and it happens when you come up into the Premier League as well that it's kind of the money ball cycle and teams like Brentford have done this really well Bournemouth and Brighton and if Millwall want to become one of those teams they're going to have to do the same thing which is build that core over a period of time but also when you have top assets as they do with Aziz and also with Tristan Kramer, that they will need to look at moving those on and getting fees because if you move those two players on, you'd be looking at probably the best part of£30 million and you could look at reinvesting a lot of that money back into your playing squad and developing that further as well.

5:57So I would expect both of those to leave. Obviously Aziz, yeah, one of those as well. And you'd imagine that would be into the Premier League. He's a player who I know has probably had criticisms from the performances that Town fans would have watched, A, against Town, and also in the playoffs looked a little bit flat across those games. But there's a lot of good in what he can bring to a team. And I would imagine that a Premier League side will be interested, at least in having him there to make a strong part of the squad, a Fulham, an Everton, a Leeds, a Palace, someone like that. and it's not going to be a super high break the bank fee either at 15 million to an established Premier League side, that would probably be a pretty good deal to get done.

6:43Definitely. I think a lot of people, they had sort of mixed reactions when they saw that link. I know in January it was more like, another right winger, another one, as that meme goes. And then this summer it's sort of like, yeah, the transfer window's not even opened yet and that was one of the early links.

6:59Ross Halls:And people are going, really? We've had this conversation on the last transfer talk about fans going, do we really want to sign the best championship players again? It didn't really work out last time, but we said there's a balance to be made there. Fermi Aziz is in that sort of camp, isn't he? Yeah, he is. And there's a number of players. I've talked about Kramer. Kramer? Kramer? Not sure. But the French versatile Millwall defender who I might be talking about a little bit later in the summer with some of my thoughts on where he could end up over the transfer window. Give a little hint out there.

7:36I think he's very good. And there's various players in that camp, and you've got to look beyond saying Hayden Hackney is a good player and we'd like him, but beyond that, there isn't really anyone else falling into the trap. Ipswich can't go and recruit purely championship players and look at what they did last time they were in the Premier League. It's not going to be that kind of approach. They are going to have to broaden the net, but you then can't go and ignore some of the quality that you can find in this division, be it a Vipotnik, be it a, I don't know, a Tommy Conway, be it a Aziz, as we've discussed, be it players from Southampton or anyone else like that, Gus Hamer, Sienza, there's a lot of players you will make.

8:22Yeah, exactly. There's lots of real quality. in Ranluza, Aidan Morris. There are players who I know Ipswich fans might feel kind of irked about because they're championship players, but it's not to say that those players can't step up to the Premier League. And we've seen various examples of championship players coming into the Premier League and doing incredibly well at that level. Look at, I don't know, take Alex Scott, take Antoine Semenyo. You can plunge in and find the right players and don't build a team of championship all-stars, but find the right ones at the right price, then you can go and develop them.

8:57Those two, for example, both in Bristol City, funnily enough, great examples of what you can do with the right kind of recruitment. So don't fully turn your nose up at that kind of side of things. Yeah, definitely. And Troy Parrott, AJ, we spoke about him last week. He could be a name that could be floating about for a while. He has come out and spoken about his future at AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands. Of course, he's had a fantastic spell there the last two seasons.

9:25Ross Halls:51 goals in total. He's someone who's been linked to a town. He's been linked to many clubs. And he's probably destined to move to a big European team or European league anyway. I'm not saying Netherlands is not a top European league, but in terms of his next step. Yeah, you're not true. A top five European league. Yeah, pretty much. But yeah, he's an age now. He's 24. he's the star of the Irish international team he'll know Darragh Shea and the rest of the players Casey McIntyre, Jack Taylor Sonny Smoddix, I can name him Chio Bene but yeah, he's somebody he's going to be interested in what's his next step I'm sure he's going to have to make a right decision if he doesn't want to go somewhere and he doesn't play because he's developed such since his loan spell of town back in 2021 he's been on one hell of a journey and yeah what do you reckon Could he come to the Premier League?

10:20Ross Halls:Would he go somewhere in Europe? He's aced in Milan, he's been a team that's been linked. But yeah, what do you reckon? Yeah, a weird journey, hasn't it, Ben? Went to Millwall, didn't score for them. Came to town, didn't really work for him, scored twice. Dropped to MK Dons, did really well. MK Dons, obviously, at a lower level. Then ended up back in the Championship with Preston, where again, he didn't really do anything. But whatever has happened to him in the Netherlands, be it first with Excelsior in the second tier there, and then with with Arzad well no they're actually in the top flight with Excelsior but then with Arzad Akma who are playing right at the top of the Eredivisie who are playing in Europe he's just turned into a remarkable striker and the numbers that he's posting I'm going to be honest as someone who likes and enjoys the Dutch top flight the quality is not great I'm going to be honest now but when you're looking at the numbers he's posted 17 goals for a poor Excelsior team, and then 20 in his first season at Azad Akma, 31 this season in 48 games.

11:24Even if you then have to factor in that those numbers will be lower coming into the Premier League, wherever he goes, that's still a really strong return to have. He's spoken about leaving Azad Akma this summer, knowing that he could have played his last game in the 3-0 draw against Nakbreda last weekend, and it'll be interesting to see, but he needs to do what's best for his career, and he's mentioned that. So, let's see. Ipswich have been linked. They've kind of been put into the bracket with commentary, with one rumour saying that those are two clubs going head-to-head. Other reports saying that teams like Leeds and Everton, most of the Premier League, as well as AC Milan, as you referenced, have also been interested in signing him.

12:07I think he's going to be Premier League bound. Could he return to Portman Road? Those links to Ireland players is what interests me, because if you've got those voices in your ear from O'Shea, from Jack Taylor, from whoever, if there is interest there, that could really help. On the flip side, given the levels of interest from established Premier League teams, who I'm sure would still be able to offer him consistent football and also less of a threat of relegation compared to what Ipswich will face next season, I think that he might end up going somewhere else, somewhere like a Leeds and Everton.

12:45fulham someone like that but um yeah let's wait and see he's a good player and i'm sure that we'll have some more kind of concrete links with him uh knowing where he's going to end up in the next few weeks and months yeah i can imagine he's definitely on the list of striker targets but um one that like oh let's see if he doesn't end up there if he doesn't end up there then maybe town i wouldn't be against it uh it doesn't excite me excite me but it's one of those where i like he's an option you know I really like him yeah I haven't really watched much of Dutch football you've already watched it more than me but just to see that journey has been incredible because that was a bit of a bleak sort of trowel window that 2021

13:24Ross Halls:we signed a few loan players and they didn't really work out and yeah you have to put that to one side if there was to be concrete links to him if it was something to materialise as I said I don't think this will be one that materialises in Troy Parrott coming to Ipswich but if it did and if this progressed and if the interest is real, he is a very different player to what he was, what, five years ago, six years ago when he was at Portman Road as a very young player. He's developed well, physically much better. He's a good hold-up striker. He's really clinical in the box. You can see his performances at international level for Ireland where he's a hero, not just a cult hero.

14:03They love him. He's adored by Ireland fans as their main man. And yeah, I'd be really excited to see what he can do in the Premier League, be that for Ipswich or whoever else. But I think he would be towards the top of kind of pretty ambitious targets for Ipswich. I think it might be one that proves to be too difficult to do with the interest, but I think he's a great player. What would be the fee be? What's the fee sort of rumoured to be? I would put it at 20 to 25 million. Okay. Because he's come out and said that he doesn't know what his future holds, but he had his last game recently and he feels like this.

14:46Disgusting again, aren't we? Because we picked up some quotes. He spoke to ESPN. He spoke to ESPN and basically said, yeah, but we don't know what the future holds, what his next step is going to be. But he needs to take the right next steps for him. The Dutch top flight is not a top European league when you compare it to France, Italy, Spain, Germany and England. So I think he'll end up moving to one of those this summer. I'm sure that Arzad Aukma will be happy to do business for the right fee. And I'm sure that there will be clubs who will be willing to pay that, given how he's progressed over in the Netherlands.

15:21It's going to be similar to Liam De Laap, where there are lots of clubs who are willing to go and pay that release clause. It's now going to be up to him, I think, to see what's best for his future. I don't think the teams are going to have to be haggling over the fee. Yeah, well, watch his space. and in a way, he's got a summer that he doesn't have to have any distractions with the World Cup, which I'm sure, he would rather be playing the World Cup. It's one of those where, you know, yeah, he can, it's going to be very interesting to see where he ends up and we'll watch his space then, ladies and gentlemen.

15:52AJ, let's speak about Dan Neal now because there's been links to him to go into potentially Spain, Valencia. He, of course, ended this season with Tal on loan

16:04Ross Halls:and played 16 games. He's out of contract at Sunderland this summer. He's a boyhood club and he's been there all his career. He'll be interested to see where he ends up. My first question to you is, could Town look to sign him on a permanent deal? It would be a free transfer. He didn't really get an opportunity to play in the Premier League with Sunderland, but could Kieran McKenna give them that chance? What would you like to see? First things first, I'm already putting in a proposition that we have a transfer talk show, Valencia-Klaxon, where we essentially ring the bell every time that Valencia are mentioned because in the last 12 months, that's been three times we've had to do that.

16:46We had Cameron Burgess 12 months ago. Of course, he went to Swansea. We had the Muric one last week that we talked about him. Now we've got this one as well. It just feels like, have you seen that Mr. Bean meme where he's copying the notes of the guy next to him? It feels a bit like Valencia just doing that. Yeah, weird summer with them in the course of all clubs as well. But yeah, this is an interesting one. It came from TalkSport saying that there was interest from Valencia, a team who still harbour very faint hopes of sneaking into Europe on the final day of the season. We need to beat Barcelona.

17:19Good luck to them. Managed by Carlos Corbran, which is kind of a basis from this link about the fact that he's seen Daniel play, because Corbran, of course, used to manage West Brom as well as Huddersfield in the Championship and was assistant manager at Leeds United. So we'd have seen a fair bit of Dan Neal over the last few seasons playing for Sunderland. And that's the link that we've got. He's a free agent now, or will be going into free agency because he's had his loan spell at Ipswich and Sunderland will not be renewing his contract, which will allow him to go and play regular football somewhere else.

17:57Valencia of course I mentioned linked Rangers have been linked as well they were interested in January couldn't get a deal done with gazumped in terms of the money put forward by Ipswich to do the loan so he ended up coming to Ipswich instead of Rangers but they'll be back in for him as well reportedly and then to go back to the question you asked me about a minute ago Ipswich what's their position going to be there's definitely the option for them to do something like that because is he ticks a lot of the boxes. He's experienced at championship level, but you'd say he's a player that could step up to the Premier League and has had a few minutes getting that experience with Sunderland.

18:34He's still young. He's 24. He's an English homegrown midfielder. He has lots of really nice characteristics for a midfielder that you'd like. Compliments, as all matters, he will well. You'd imagine with a full pre-season behind him that he could really kick on. It's just about whether Ipswich wants something different. How did we feel about his loan spell at town? Some really nice flashes of real quality that made us think he'd have a long-term future at the club, but also some real rustiness, some areas that he needs to improve on and that you feel could get exposed at Premier League level. I do think that Ipswich need to go and have a different profile of midfielder alongside Azul Matasiwa.

19:15And the big thing for me is that Daniel needs to go play somewhere week in, week out because he hasn't had it since that last championship season with Sunderland. Didn't have it at all in the first half of the season. Didn't really have regular, regular starts at Ipswich in the championship either. It's only going to get harder in the Premier League. He would not be a weekly starter for Ipswich in the Premier League. And if there is something on the table for him to go and play week in, week out, be that Valencia where I think he would suit Spanish football or be it Scotland or wherever, I think that's a more suitable option for him.

19:46So I don't think that a return to Portland Roads would necessarily be on the cards. OK, well, let us know in the comments down below your thoughts or feelings on Daniel. I thought he was fine. I thought he did the job he needed to do. And he was part of the team that got us promoted. So he's like a Lewis Travers, wasn't he? Like sort of same time, January signing, sort of experiencing the championship, did a job, did OK. And, you know, he'll be part of a team that, you know, we'll look back on.

20:13Ross Halls:Oh, yeah, Daniel. Remember him? A little known spell. One of the notes you sent me, part of this, AJ, was will he suit Spanish football? I think he probably would do. We've seen a lot of English players go over, definitely go abroad. Italy has been a key one, but Spain as well. Yeah, it's a league where the physicality isn't as important. He's not some big unit. He's taller than I thought he was when I met him, but he's not a big, strong, physical midfielder. and I think that Azor, given his size as well, probably needs that alongside him a little bit more. You then go into a league where that isn't as important, where you get allowed more time on the ball.

20:54He's really good when you give him time with the ball at his feet, the way that he spins past players, Jenski-yuster-esque, the way that he can pick a really nice pass. He's got all of those key characteristics. He just needs to refine them, and I think he'd be better off doing that in a league like La Liga than he would in the Premier League. And I just don't think that there's probably a club within the Premier League who would give him those regular minutes. So if you'd asked me before these links had come out, I thought a championship move was more likely. I tipped him for Burnley in a piece that I wrote earlier this week.

21:30But yeah, I'd be really keen to see him give Valencia a try and that would be a pretty fun move as well. That would be really. That would be great to put on my ex-Blue spreadsheet with Daniel Valencia next to it. But we'll watch his space and see where he ends up. Let's talk about another ex-Blue, AJ.

21:48Ross Halls:As we recorded the last transfer talk, there's some breaking news that Connor Chaplin is leaving Portland Road this summer after five years. Of course, ended the season or had last season, this season. How are we phrasing it out? Because the season is done for town. But when do you... it's this season for me and when the EFL season comes to an end which happens on bank holiday Monday that's when I transition so when I return for my holiday on Wednesday I will probably start referring to it as last season but yes I have the same thing and in a lot of the written pieces I've done it's given me a bit of a headache but last Friday as this goes out yeah Conor Chaplin is leaving the club AJ and yeah, we did obviously a live on it all so we won't need to discuss him as a plow of town because we've done that.

22:41Ross Halls:But it's going to be very interesting to see where next for him. There's been sort of little links, early doors. Derby County is one of the teams. I'm sure there'll be a lot of championship clubs that could be interested in him. I think he's still got quality to be staying in the championship but I wouldn't be surprised if he did drop down as League One. He did that when he was with Town. I think it just depends on the ambition of the club who are in League One. Abroad, I don't know, I can't see him doing that with his young family, but you never know. An experience would be great. Andre De Zell has just gone to Washington in America.

23:15Ross Halls:So, yeah, what do you reckon, AJ, with Conor Chaplin? I don't think he's going to rule anything out. Let's talk about where this rumour has come from, which is a Football League World report that said that Derby are keen on signing him. I think that the ambitions that Derby have, if he was to go and play regular football there, would be certainly something that he would be interested in. Of course, the curveball as well. Is there a chance that they come back in for Sam Smoddix on a permanent basis? This summer, they play the same position. That would be a very interesting one to see with that.

23:50But definitely with the trends, the upward trajectory that the derby have, you could imagine that would suit him quite well. There's the prospect of a return to Portsmouth. but I think that Pompey fans, from what I've seen, haven't been totally sold on him, and he would come in as a huge marquee signing on a lot of money for Pompey. So I think that one's probably looking unlikely off the back of that loan spell. So I think it will be somewhere else. You've mentioned League One. Could an ambitious League One club, a Sheffield Wednesday under new ownership, a Leicester, a team of that ilk come through?

24:24I think for Chaplin, obviously, you have to match the wages, and he is going to obviously have demands that will be quite high, certainly for League One level, but possibly for Championship as well because he's been a Premier League player and he knows his ability and he deserves to have that, and the security as well of a long-term deal towards the latter stages, let's say, of his career, the next three, four, five, six years, however long he keeps playing. And it's just about the minutes and the ambition. If you sell the right project to him, I think that he will listen, be that in England, be that in wherever abroad.