Ipswich Town Go Big: Record Sighings, a 6ft 9in Goalkeeper, and a Transfer Gamble Built on Hard Lessons
Ipswich Town have broken their transfer record to sign Brazilian striker Emersonn for an initial £24m from Toulouse — the headline move in a summer rebuild that now ranks among the most expensive ever undertaken by a promoted club (BBC Sport).
The 21-year-old forward scored seven goals in 31 appearances, 22 of them starts, in Ligue 1 last season. Modest numbers, perhaps, for a club-record fee — but Ipswich's need was glaring. No player in the squad scored more than 10 non-penalty goals during the 2024–25 Championship campaign, a statistic that left little room for debate about where the team needed to strengthen (BBC Sport).
Emersonn is far from the only arrival. Ipswich have signed Japan international Daizen Maeda from Celtic, where he scored 79 goals in 212 games (ITFC). Winger Abdul Fatawu joined from Leicester City in a deal the East Anglian Daily Times valued at £20m (EADT). Midfielder Saša Lukić became the eighth signing of the window, arriving on a deal to 2030 (ITFC).
Then there is the matter of Kjell Scherpen. The Dutch goalkeeper stands 6ft 9in tall and is set to become the tallest player to appear in the Premier League. He is one of two Dutch goalkeepers Ipswich recruited this summer, the other being Kayne van Oevelen, signed from FC Volendam for £3.4m (EADT).
The spending makes a statement, but the reasoning behind it is more interesting. Ipswich learned from their previous Premier League campaign — a stint that exposed a squad lacking the power and ball-winning ability to cope at that level (BBC Sport). This time, they have targeted players with different physical attributes, athletes built for the pace and combat of the top flight.
Midfield was a particular weakness. Lukić and Florentino Luis, both brought in this summer, carry experience at the highest level. Their arrival is timely, too: Azor Matusiwa and Jack Taylor are doubtful for the opening game after undergoing operations over the summer (BBC Sport).
Only three promoted clubs have ever spent more in a summer window than Ipswich: Sunderland in 2025, Nottingham Forest in 2022, and Aston Villa in 2019. All three survived. The flip side is that Fulham, Southampton, Burnley, and a previous Ipswich side all spent comparable sums only to drop straight back down to the Championship (BBC Sport).
Money buys players. It does not buy safety. The difference, as often as not, comes down to whether the recruits gel quickly and whether the manager — Gary O'Neil, who was in charge when Maeda arrived in July — can shape them into a unit (ITFC).
Away from the transfer business, a £30m training ground redevelopment is close to completion — a signal that the ambition runs deeper than the squad sheet (BBC Sport).
Ipswich secured promotion by finishing second in the Championship, clinching automatic promotion on the final day of the 2025–26 season after a campaign that started poorly (Premier League). They go up alongside Hull City (Premier League). The new season is here. The chequebook is closed. Now the football decides.
