Town are reported to have had a €22 million (£18.6 million) offer for Greek international striker Fotis Ioannidis rebuffed by his club Panathinaikos.

According to Sportime and other Greek sources, the Blues made the approach for the 24-year-old last week but the bid was turned down with Panathinaikos keen to keep hold of their player and in talks regarding a new deal.

However, it’s anticipated that Town could come back with an increased offer nearer to the €25-€30 million region.

Ioannidis himself is said to be happy in Greece but would be interested in a move to the Premier League.

Lisbon-based Sporting CP has been viewed as Ioannidis’s most likely destination this summer were he to move on and it’s reported in the Portuguese press that the Blues’ offer was turned down as it included too many bonus clauses.

Ioannidis was a youth player with Olympiacos Chalkida and Levadiakos before breaking into senior football with the latter late in 2018.

In August 2020, he joined Panathinaikos on a four-year deal. Goals were hard to come by in his first three seasons with the Athens-based side, netting four, four and seven in the league in those campaigns.

Nevertheless, his form was good enough to see him win the first of his 11 full caps - two goals - in 2022, having already played at U18, U19 and U21 levels.

Last season, however, Ioannidis, whose father Vasilios also played professionally in Greece, netted 23 times and picked up nine assists in all competitions, 15 in the league, seven in Europe, Panathinaikos having narrowly missed out on the group stage of the Champions League before entering the Europa League.

That led to interest from clubs abroad including Sporting and Girona in Spain, while Ioannidis is reported to have turned down interest from French side Lille.

If Town were to land Ioannidis, the striker’s fee would be the biggest in the club’s history, with the £4.8 million paid to Sampdoria for keeper Matteo Sereni in the summer of 2001 still the club record. Ioannidis would also be the first player signed from an overseas club since the takeover.

Meanwhile, the Blues continue to be linked with Tottenham centre-half Joe Rodon, who spent last season on loan with Leeds United.

The Whites are keen to sign the Wales international permanently, but Football.London reports that Town are among the other suitors along with fellow promoted sides Leicester and Southampton.

Swansea-born Rodon came through the ranks at his hometown club, spending time on loan at Cheltenham while with the Swans.

The ball-playing centre-half’s form with the Welsh club in the Championship led to Spurs signing him for £11 million in October 2020 on a five-year deal which is up next summer.

Since then, he has made 14 starts and 10 sub appearances for Tottenham and has spent spells on loan at Rennes and then last season Leeds, where he made 49 starts and one sub appearance as the Whites missed out on promotion in the play-offs.

Elsewhere, former Town loanee Jeremy Sarmiento says he's yet to have discussions regarding his future with parent club Brighton.

“I have pre-season to do, where I'll go back with Brighton. Then we'll see what happens,” the 22-year-old said having scored on his birthday for Ecuador in their 2-1 victory over Honduras yesterday, his first international goal.

When Sarmiento joined the Blues on loan in January, it was understood that the deal included the potential for the forward to return to Portman Road this summer.

Meanwhile, former Town loanee Callum Connolly joined League Two champions Stockport County over the weekend after leaving Blackpool.

The 26-year-old was with the Blues in 2017/18, making 30 starts and five sub appearances, scoring four times.

Photo: Sipa USA

Marshalls_Mullet added 11:48 - Jun 17 Didn't we sign Sereni from Sampdoria?
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SE1blue added 11:49 - Jun 17 This guy ouzos class. Add him to our squad and we’ll only get feta and feta.
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Hewesey added 11:49 - Jun 17 He certainly looks and plays like what we’ve become accustomed to from a Kieran McKenna striker. If this link and fee is true this is certainly an insight into the transfer policy we’re adopting and makes me more hopeful they might be willing to splash the cash on Omari as long as we can fend off the interest from Champions League football at Stuttgart.
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bobble added 11:49 - Jun 17 yawn.....
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Broadbent23 added 11:53 - Jun 17 This is early days in the transfer market. We only want players committed to the Ipswich Project. We have a limit budget compared to the rest of the Premier League, therefore a lot more transfer scenarios before the new squad emerges. Interesting reading but we need players with Premiership experience. Believe in the process.
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Marcus added 11:58 - Jun 17 It seems we're making some serious approaches for top-tier players. While I could list obvious shortfalls with our current squad I'm sure KM is more than aware already! This is our most critical transfer window for a generation, this time there is the belief we can find the right talent to enhance the squad rather than compromise signings from the previous managers. Nervous/exciting [delete as appropriate] days ahead!

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Bazza8564 added 12:10 - Jun 17 Sorry Braodbent I think we have a very high budget in comparison to others. We know 6 clubs have to sell to meet FFP limits and the other two promoted clubs are strapped for cash anyway because of their overruns last season. If the first player we are linked with is 22m Euros i thinks it's fair to say we will mush more than most to spend. We won't be in Man City's league signing players at 80m plus each, but i expect us to recruit heavily and it would not surprise me if we spent 80-100m in total

2

John_Grose added 12:13 - Jun 17 Video montage here - looks very good on the ball https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=fotis+ioannidis&mid=A60 Apparently a move to Sporting Lisbon is already nearly a done deal though
0

prebbs007 added 12:15 - Jun 17 We need to massively upgrade our keeper and defence before looking at strikers. Top goalscorers In last 2 seasons (obviously at lower levels) but with bottom half goals against record. An exciting window ahead but we definitely need to stop goals before thinking of scoring more.
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Reality_2021 added 12:29 - Jun 17 Although nice to see - the attacking part is not really the main area of concern. Defence and goalkeeper should be out signing priorities.
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Bluearmy_81 added 12:30 - Jun 17 Prebbs, imho we need to think about both but I get what you’re saying about defence. I dread to think the number of errors that Wolfenden would make in the prem, Rondon would be a significant upgrade…
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Monkey_Blue added 12:32 - Jun 17 prebbs007- most clubs can walk and chew gum at the same time in the transfer market. I’m assuming we are looking at all areas we need to improve at the same time. Are you suggesting we don’t do anything regarding midfield or attack until we’ve got upgrades to our defence? Calm down. Nowhere in this article does it say any of this is absolute fact or it’s the complete list of all players we are making moves for, considering etc. One thing we do know is that as a club we don’t broadcast transfer efforts prior to signing a player and rightly so as satisfying fan curiosity isn’t a priority and would negatively impact our dealings.

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BlueNomad added 12:33 - Jun 17 Our signings won’t come in order of positional priority. They will come as the deals are finalised.
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positivity added 12:34 - Jun 17 we need an attacker (or 2?) reality, we're down moore and jackson on last season and it'd be a big step up from league 2 to the prem for al-hamadi
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BlueNomad added 12:35 - Jun 17 Prebbs007 gets wound up over everything!
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Linkboy13 added 12:42 - Jun 17 Plenty of advice for McKenna on here im sure he takes it all in?
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BobbyBell added 12:54 - Jun 17 If KM wants this guy then that's good enough for me. I trust in his judgement and his coaching skills completely. 'Bobble' have you not had therapy yet mate? How can you make such ridiculous comments?
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fifeblue added 13:27 - Jun 17 Not exactly profilic.
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mathiemagic added 13:29 - Jun 17 Would much rather have Szmodics from Blackburn
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hyperbrit added 13:30 - Jun 17 the back door needs to be closed before painting the front door
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TimmyH added 13:37 - Jun 17 Pretty obvious what Prebbs is saying...defence is our weakest area when playing in the Championship and would be if we didn't add any further players for this upcoming season in the Premiership (obviously not going to happen). Maybe more money needs to be spent on that area but saying that defenders in general are somewhat 'cheaper' than say a top class striker. I'm sure McK is far beyond what we mortals think in regards to strengthening the side anyway...

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prebbs007 added 13:54 - Jun 17 Blue army 81. A dustbin would be an upgrade on Wallyden :)
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prebbs007 added 13:55 - Jun 17 Monkey Blue all very valid points I agree totally
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prebbs007 added 13:58 - Jun 17 BlueNomad you truley are as your name says. I am merely suggesting that our defensive record under god KNc is not exactly world beating and has to be improved vastly. If that’s the definition of getting wound up I suggest you check the dictionary. Now jog on !!
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Bluearmy_81 added 14:09 - Jun 17 Link, I don’t see it so much as advice for McKenna as much as fans opinions which of course they’re perfectly entitled to have
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