Ipswich Town have been turned down in their attempts to sign Mexican midfielder Marcel Ruiz.
Kieran McKenna’s side have been looking to reinforce across the pitch this summer as they aim to bounce back into the Premier League once more. Whilst striker is of great priority following the sale of Liam Delap to Chelsea and the likely departure of Ali Al Hamadi, picking up new options in the center of the pitch has been a long-term target for The Tractor Boys.
Town Face Rejection
One potential option was midfielder Marcel Ruiz, with the 24-year-old playing a starring role in Toluca’s Liga MX campaign last season with 47 appearances, five goals and nine assists across all competitions. He arrived at Toluca in 2022, helping the club to wins in both the Apertura and Clausura phases of the league.
According to reports in Central America from Cesar Luis Merlo earlier last week, Ipswich were looking to strike a $10 million (£7.46 million) deal for the defensive midfielder. However, it has since emerged in Merlo’s latest update that Ruiz is unwilling to move to Suffolk, and wants to stick with Toluca beyond this transfer window.
The situation at Portman Road for midfielders has been very fluid this season, with a permanent move for Jens Cajuste still on the cards after his negotiations with Besiktas stalled. However, with club captain Sam Morsy now set for a free transfer to Qatar, Kieran McKenna now has to rebuild a new partnership in the heart of his midfield.
Town have invested in a new option in defensive midfielders after signing Rennes’ Azor Matusiwa, just one of three incoming signings made this summer alongside Cedric Kipre and free agent David Button following his release from Reading.
Writers’ View
In transfers, the player’s stance is the most important element to any deal and in this case Ipswich Town could not do anything about Marcel Ruiz’ hesitance to move to England. Now with Sam Morsy leaving for a life-changing move to Qatar, The Tractor Boys are in dire need of a new option in midfield. An alternative could come in the form of Brighton and Hove Albion’s Malick Yalcouye, with the Daily Express reporting that the 19-year-old is a figure of interest for Town.
