Barnsley join Oxford United & Derby County in transfer chase for Ipswich Town player | OneFootball

The Tunisian is set to leave the Tractor Boys this summer after two successive loan spells with Leyton Orient

Barnsley are the latest club said to have joined the race to sign Ipswich Town midfielder Idris El Mizouni this summer, according to a report from the East Anglian Daily Times.

Oxford United and Derby County are both also said to have an interest in the Tunisian, who spent the previous campaign on loan with Leyton Orient, in a repeat of the deal that took him to Brisbane Road for the 22/23 season.

Having come up through the ranks at Portman Road, the 23-year-old only has a handful of appearances to his name for the Tractor Boys during his career, with five separate loan deals away from the club to date.

But after Town took up the option to extend his contract by another year this summer, they are now thought to be looking to offload the midfielder, and recoup a fee for their asset in the process.

Barnsley join Oxford United and Derby County in race for Ipswich Town star Idris El Mizouni

Since making his first-team debut for the club back in 2019, El Mizouni has only mustered 12 league appearances for Ipswich, with the last of which coming in August 2022, in a 1-0 defeat to Colchester United in the EFL Cup.

Since then, the Tunisian international has spent two seasons on loan with Orient, as he helped them to promotion from League Two in the 22/23 campaign, before seeing them establish themselves as a third tier side in the previous 12 months.

The midfield hustler has featured in 81 league matches for the O’s during that time, with Richie Wellens seeing him as a key component in his side, as they finished in the top half of League One upon their return to the division.

With his tenacity and willingness to earn the ball back for his side in the centre of the pitch, Mizouni has gathered a reputation as a top talent within the EFL, with the potential to become a top Championship midfielder in the future.

With 1.8 successful tackles per 90 last season, El Mizouni ranks within the top 20 players in the division for such a statistic, while his 1.2 interceptions per 90 also sees him rank highly compared to his peers.

Barnsley looking to add Idris El Mizouni after completing impressive early transfer business

After appointing Darrell Clarke as head coach once the disappointment of playoff defeat had cleared in May, Barnsley have got some astute transfer business over the line already this summer.

Fan favourite Conor Hourihane has returned to the club, following a spell with League One rivals Derby County, whom he helped earn promotion to the Championship in the previous campaign.

The Tykes have also re-signed defender Marc Roberts this summer, with the 33-year-old returning to Oakwell after spending seven years at St Andrew’s with Birmingham City.

The signing of El Mizouni would be a perfect addition to the Yorkshire side’s engine room ahead of the next campaign, with his energetic displays a valuable asset for any side he plays in, either in or out of possession.