TWTD understands former Blues loanee Bersant Celina’s loan move to Turkish side Kasımpaşa is back on and is set to be completed in the next couple of days.
Celina is travelling to Istanbul make the switch to the Süper Lig side, a season-long loan from parent club Dijon with an option to buy, a fortnight after making the same trip and deciding not to make the move to the club whose average attendance last season was 2,451.
Town had been in talks with Celina regarding his return to Portman Road for a third spell - also a loan with a view to a permanent switch - for much of the summer with the player understood to be keen on the switch but with no agreement reached. We understand no new discussions have taken place since the 25-year-old’s previous trip to Istanbul.
As revealed last month, Stoke looked to be Celina’s destination until his work permit situation caused the proposed switch to collapse.
In addition to Kasımpaşa, another Turkish club Antalyaspor also held talks and earlier in the summer Preston were keen but their interest is understood to have cooled and would anyway have been impacted by the work permit issue.
Interest from Rangers, who were believed to have been keen with Scottish clubs subject to an exemption regarding the work permit situation, appears to have come to nothing.
Celina spent last season on loan at Town having previously been with the Blues during 2017/18 while a Manchester City player and is very much a fans' favourite at Portman Road.
Town's top target remains Leicester striker George Hirst but with Championship clubs understood to include Blackburn and Blackpool also keen.