Town have confirmed the return of Bersant Celina on a season-long loan from French second division side Dijon, subject to international clearance.

TWTD revealed that the Blues were on the verge of adding the 24-year-old to their squad yesterday morning, having broken the news that Town were chasing the Kosovo international in June. Celina becomes the club's 18th senior addition of the summer.

“Bersant has been here before and his quality in the final third is a given," manager Paul Cook told the club site.

“Bersant’s quality is there for all to see and he doesn’t need a lot of explaining to Ipswich fans from me.

“He’s got really good technique, he’s got great pace and he’s an international footballer. We’re absolutely delighted that he has come back to Ipswich Town Football Club.”

Town CEO, Mark Ashton, added: “We're delighted to finally be able to welcome Bersant back to Portman Road.

“He is a player that we have been pursuing since the beginning of the transfer window. Our supporters will know about the quality that Bersant brings and we cannot wait to see him back in the Town colours very soon.”

Celina, the Blues' 18th senior signing of the summer, is due to join up with the Kosovo squad later this week ahead of their World Cup qualifiers away against Georgia on Friday and at home to Greece on Sunday and Spain a week on Wednesday.

Town had held protracted talks with the forward, who previously spent 2017/18 on loan at Portman Road from Manchester City, scoring eight times in 26 starts and 12 sub appearances, while a number of other clubs, understood to include Championship Hull City and Coventry City, as well as sides in the Dutch top flight, were also keen.

The chances of the move happening looked over when Celina developed the heart infection pericarditis in late July having contracted Covid a month earlier.

However, a fortnight ago his cardiologist gave the 24-year-old the all-clear to return to training in a few weeks’ time.

The Blues were initially looking at a permanent switch but ultimately a loan switch for the season has been agreed. Dijon have confirmed that the deal doesn't include an option to buy.

Kosovo-born Celina moved to Norway with his family aged two and was a youth player with Strømsgodset before joining Manchester City’s academy in 2012.

In 2016/17 he spent time with FC Twente in the Netherlands on loan, then moved to Town on the same basis the following season.

Celina left City for Swansea in the summer of 2018 for £3 million - having made one senior start and three sub appearances for the Citizens - and went on to make 65 starts and 14 sub appearances for the Swans, scoring 10 times, before being sold to Dijon for a reported £2.7 million in September 2020, signing a four-year contract.

During 2020/21, 5ft 11in tall Celina made 26 starts and seven sub appearances in all competitions for Dijon without finding the net as Les Hiboux were relegated from Ligue 1 having finished bottom.

Capped by Norway at U16, U17 and U21 levels, Celina subsequently switched allegiance to Kosovo for whom he has played U21 and senior games. He has now taken his full caps total to 29, scoring twice.

Celina could be Town's final signing of the transfer window which closes at 11pm this evening, although a further addition - probably a holding midfielder - isn't out of the question.

Armando Dobra's loan to Colchester, which TWTD revealed had been agreed yesterday, will be confirmed at some point today, while the likes of Bailey Clements could also move on on a temporary basis.

Fringe first-teamers such as Kayden Jackson and Tomas Holy could also depart if there is interest with the same the case with outcast left-back Myles Kenlock.

Photo: Matchday Images

chappie added 09:43 - Aug 31 Kudos to Ashton, who someone said above is actually our best signing of the the decade. Second best may well be Celina. Fantastic signing. It'll be interesting to see how quickly he can get match fit. He's off to international duty for 3 games so if he was particularly out of shape then surely he wouldn't be going? lets see how many games he plays for Kosovo, pray he doesn't get injured, and then welcome him with open arms back to his ITFC home!!

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BangaloreBlues added 09:54 - Aug 31 Should never have let him go in the first place.
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cantona11 added 09:57 - Aug 31 Well I like this signing but I think we have enough attacking players in the squad already 🤔 why get Barry,Chaplin,Aluko the latter imo no good we need a ball winning midfielder like Samba Sow of Forest as he can create stuff aswell through the midfield and get Edmundson fit and playing and I think he would be a good skipper as I feel Evans is no the leader we thought he was and doesn't lead by example COYB

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Reuserscurtains added 10:01 - Aug 31 Don't start with comments that we don't need Celina (in league 1) because we have players already. Dear oh dear haha
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Bluearmy_81 added 10:02 - Aug 31 Lego, unbelievable there are still fans stuck up Evans ars e. He didn't save us at all, we were out of administration. There were other potential buyers. If only one of them had bought us and saved us from the last 14 years of failure and underachievement. He led us to our lowest position in 60+years ffs!! It blows my mind that some fans still can't call a spade a spade, he was a complete failure for ITFC, and caused the club inconceivable harm, he turned us into a laughing stock!! Bet you used to say "thank god we've got Evans!!" 😂🤯😂🤯😂🤯

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Spanishblueblood added 10:11 - Aug 31 We don't need any more center backs, we have Burgess, Edmundson, Nsiala, Wolfenden and Donacien if needed. We do need that Skuse type defensive central midfielder but someone a bit more mobile than Skuse!! As for Celina.....why not? He was available, we were in a position where we could take him, absolute no brainer and he should tear it up in this division. All in all, a cracking summer transfer window and if things need a little tweak here and there...I'm sure the funds will be there in January!!

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GiveusaWave added 10:13 - Aug 31 Very good signing.... Wonder how many faces he will recognise now back at ITFC? Only 3 years ago...
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mkbobby added 10:14 - Aug 31 Celina will be our new No 10 , Fraser will be back up
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KernewekBlue added 10:21 - Aug 31 "legoman added 09:25 - Aug 31 Blue 81, his name is Marcus and is the man who saved ITFC from oblivion and set us up with this fantastic re-birth of our club!" Legoman... Just how long is your tongue, that you can manage to slide it right down the back of Evans' trousers from here? Contrary to all the evidence, the sales of our prized assets at vastly reduced rates, the shoestring budgets, the promised yet failed 5 year plan year after year, the poor football and lack of entertainment, the building of very poor squads that could never compete, the poor appointments of terrible managers given no ammunition to challenge for promotion, his meaningless rhetoric trotted out every pre-season just to sell season tickets and the inevitable headlong free-fall down the league table during every season he was at the helm, culminating in relegation to League One and you STILL think he was the chosen one, our very own Messiah, who saved us from the jaws of doom? He WAS the jaws of doom, personified! That guy was the worst disaster EVER to happen to our beloved club! Evans' didn't cunningly facilitate the rebuild of our club... due to his ego, penny pinching and lack of knowledge, he made it a complete necessity to rebuild from scratch. So don't laud Evans for being our saviour, he was the destroyer of our world!

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arablue added 10:30 - Aug 31 Fraser, Celina, Chaplin, Edwards, Burns, Dobra...wow!
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Paddy39 added 10:34 - Aug 31 FANTASTIC. Welcome back Bersant.
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BerkshireBlue78 added 10:40 - Aug 31 So pleased about this. Strength in depth too. key factor as we are bound to get the usual influx of injuries... we've players who can fill any position now. COYB
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timkatieadamitfc added 10:45 - Aug 31 @kernewekBlue - totally agree with your post, but you do have to give him credit for wiping debt off, now some might say it was the least he could do, but it was a hell of a lot of money so fair play. Anyway no need to be talking about ex owners, let's embrace what our new owners are doing, can't wait for this team to finally click - hopefully against Bolton.
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DebsyAngel added 10:47 - Aug 31 Brilliant news! Welcome back Bersant!
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timkatieadamitfc added 10:49 - Aug 31 On another note, I've seen on other threads people saying we won't see him fit until November, he's in the kosovo squad for this weeks games so I can't see that somehow.
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Markp68 added 10:54 - Aug 31 Phil, what are the chances do you think of getting in the centre midfield player we all want? Your report would seem to play that down but in the last few days both you and the EADT have said we are actively looking. Is your feeling now that it's unlikely or is it possible this new regime are much better at keeping potential deals quiet?
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dadey86 added 11:01 - Aug 31 Mustard signing.
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Lightningboy added 11:06 - Aug 31 Welcome “home Bersant. You can't argue with the recruitment over the summer - the new owners have done us proud. Now it's up to the manager & coaching staff to start delivering.
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Ipswichbusiness added 11:14 - Aug 31 A wonderful signing … if fit to play regularly. It is one thing for him to be medically fit or fit enough to resume training shortly, but is he fit enough to play two professional football matches per week? I hope that the answer is yes.
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bluesteal74 added 11:16 - Aug 31 Omg what a signing this get in there and welcome back home my friend 😊🚜🚜🚜
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Razor added 11:17 - Aug 31 Crikey the board and chairman have really supported the cheeky chappy to the hilt so it is now up to him----if results dont improve by end of September then some difficult decisions will be needed.
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TBT added 11:19 - Aug 31 Thank you Bluearmy 81 - I was about to lose my rag about Evans again!! He didn't save us from anything and nearly took us to oblivion.
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Northstandveteran added 11:24 - Aug 31 BA81. Let it go. It's in the past. All that wasted energy will eat you up inside. It's time to move on. Sweet morning dew....Sweet morning dew.....and breathe.
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blueboy1981 added 11:31 - Aug 31 Not so sure about this - obviously no chance of a permanent move, therefore nothing much more to expect from him other than a return to fitness whilst with us for his Club to benefit from. Hissy Fits from some as to be expected from some - - but not from me. Short term benefit to us - if indeed that !! - and time will tell for sure.
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blueboy1981 added 11:44 - Aug 31 ..... we've signed many players, some permanent signings, some loans (which never excites me) all that's left now is for PC to prove he has the back up staff to deliver, and his previous success was not hugely down to Liam Richardson..... !!!
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