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Benyu Set to Join Celtic - Ipswich Town News

Departing Blues youngster Kundai Benyu is reportedly set to join Scottish Premiership champions Celtic.

According to the Scottish Sun the Glasgow giants have fought off previously reported interest from Tottenham, West Ham and Aston Villa to land the Camden-born midfielder with the youth compensation due to Town to be set by a tribunal.

The 19-year-old, who spent a successful spell on loan at Aldershot last season, was offered new terms by the Blues with his contract up this summer but the two parties were unable to agree a deal.

Speaking about Benyu’s situation at the first day of pre-season training on Monday, manager Mick McCarthy said: "He is [out of contract]. He’s free to do, well, he’s not free, but if he goes somewhere there’ll be compensation.”

Asked whether contract talks were still ongoing, the Blues boss added: "Well, he’s not here today, so no.”

After a difficult 2015/16 in which he admitted he had shown a poor attitude, Benyu was allowed to join Tottenham’s U19s for a NextGen tournament in Amsterdam last summer but failed to impress.

Benyu, who was an unused sub for the Town first team but without making it on to the field, subsequently apologised to McCarthy at the start of pre-season training last year and was a regular in the U23s until joining Aldershot on loan in December, where he won rave reviews as he helped the Shots into the Vanarama National League play-offs.

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