Ipswich Town have been credited with an interest in a one-time Real Madrid target this summer as they look to build a squad capable of Premier League survival.

Ipswich Town busy ahead of Premier League return

Kieran McKenna's side were one of the stories of the 2023-24 season as they confirmed back-to-back promotions and ended a 22 year wait for Premier League football, beating Leeds United and Southampton to the second automatic promotion spot in the Championship.

Such was the impression made by the Tractor Boys that McKenna was chased by both Manchester United and Chelsea over the summer, only to pen a new deal at Portman Road, much to the joy of the Ipswich Town faithful.

Now though, attention has turned to the transfer window as the club look to make their stay in England's top division longer than just a single season, and have been snapping up some of the hottest young talents this summer.

They have already broken their transfer record to sign Omari Hutchinson from Chelsea after he enjoyed a fabulous loan spell with the Tractor Boys. Meanwhile, they are also working on a deal to sign Liam Delap from Manchester City in a deal which could reach £20m.

He could be joined at Portman Road by two of the Hull City players he played with on loan last season. Jacob Greaves is in talks to move to East Anglia from the KC Stadium in a bid to bolster Town's backline, while they are also in the race for Jaden Philogene, but Aston Villa's decision to enter the race may have dealt a blow to their chances of landing the young winger.

Now, the Suffolk outfit have been credited with an interest with an altogether more experienced head.

Ipswich eye Morsy upgrade

That comes with reports in Peru crediting Ipswich with an interest in veteran free agent Renato Tapia. The midfielder saw his contract with Celta Vigo expire this summer, bringing to an end a four year stint in Spain which saw him make 120 appearances across all competitions.

Such was his form that he was even linked with a move to Real Madrid to provide cover for Casemiro, though it never materialised for the 28-year-old.

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He has turned out 85 times for Peru in his career to date, though he was left out of their most recent Copa America squad. Now, he is hunting for a new challenge, with Peruvian outlet Depor [Via Sport Witness] claiming that Ipswich are 'one of several sides' chasing the veteran.

Tapia would certainly offer some improvement on Morsy in a defensive sense, with the Peruvian more active in front of his defence than his counterpart, something that may be required for Ipswich in their return to the top flight.

Morsy vs Tapia: 2023/24 Domestic season

Sam Morsy

Renato Tapia

Appearances

42

21

Tackles and interceptions per 90

3.67

4.16

Blocks per 90

1.27

2.08

Clearances per 90

1.01

3.36

Fouls per 90

1.75

1.61

Yellow Cards

14

5

However, they may have some work still to do to land the midfielder, with the report adding Tapia would prefer to stay in Spain if possible, though no offer has been forthcoming as of yet.

With Tapia happy to wait and assess his options, the report suggests that a deal may not take shape until later on in the transfer window, which may force Ipswich to be patient to land their man.