Exequiel Palacios is close to a move to the Premier League. Zhizhao Wu/Getty Images Ipswich Town are closing in on the signing of Bayer Leverkusen midfielder and World Cup-winner Exequiel Palacios, sources have told ESPN.
Ipswich are to pay an up front fee of €22.5 million (£19.3m) for Palacios, with the deal potentially worth up to €27.5m. The signing is a sizeable coup for Ipswich, with Palacios part of the Argentina squad which won the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Palacios, 27, joined Bayer Leverkusen from River Plate in 2020 and helped the German side to the Bundesliga in 2024.
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At international level, Palacios has 41 caps for Argentina and was part of the squad for both the 2022 and 2026 World Cups.
He will become Ipswich's 13th signing of the summer, in a group which includes Julio Enciso from Strasbourg, Emersonn from Toulouse, Abdul Fatawu from Leicester, Abdoul Ouattara from Strasbourg and Florentino from Burnley.
Sources have told ESPN Ipswich remain in the market for another forward while they expect the squad to be trimmed before next week's transfer deadline.