Birmingham City and Ipswich Town join Leeds United in Burnley transfer race | OneFootball

Birmingham City and Ipswich Town are interested in signing Burnley winger Manuel Benson, as reported by Give Me Sport.

The transfer window has now entered its final stage, and teams up and down the Championship are looking to wrap up any last-minute deals.

This transfer window is a chance for Tony Mowbray to make some fresh additions to a squad he took over that has slipped down the table. So far, the Blues have only made one new signing, and that was Andre Dozzell on loan from QPR.

Meanwhile, Ipswich are flying high at the top of the Championship and have been linked with a few potential arrivals, but nothing has gathered pace as of yet.

But with injuries, suspensions, and deals potentially coming to light, both sides could be busy in this final week, with Benson being someone they are both seemingly keen on.

It has been reported by Football Insider, that both Southampton and Leeds United are interested in signing Manuel Benson this month.

Hull City were also a side interested in the player, but it has since been reported that their interest has cooled.

According to journalist Sacha Tavolieri, Leeds are pushing hard to complete a deal for Benson, with a new round of talks happening yesterday.

However, the Yorkshire side could face a fresh battle, as according to Give Me Sport, both Birmingham and Ipswich are interested in a deal for the Burnley man.

The report states that what the Blues do this month may depend on what happens to Jordan James, but they do hold an interest in Benson.

However, as mentioned, Leeds and Ipswich are keen on the winger, and it is believed that it is more likely the 26-year-old will join one of these sides rather than Birmingham, given where they are in the league.

Burnley signed Manuel Benson from Belgian side Royal Antwerp in the summer of 2022.

The 26-year-old had a good impact in his first campaign in England, scoring 12 goals and chipping in with three assists in 33 Championship games.

Benson did find himself in and out of the starting XI, but he had a good impact in helping the Clarets win promotion to the Premier League.

This season, the Belgian has really struggled for game time, as he’s suffered injuries and has seemingly fallen down the pecking order at Turf Moor.

Benson has appeared just four times in the league, with only one appearance coming as a starter. His only other appearance came in the EFL Cup game against Salford City earlier this season.

It’s clear that Manuel Benson has a lot of options in front of him, as his performances last season have obviously left an impression on teams.

Some may see that Benson’s choice of the next club is easy, but joining Leeds or Ipswich may be wise in terms of where they are in the league, but whoever he joins, he needs to make sure he is going to play regular football.

Both Leeds and Ipswich have plenty of attacking options at the club, so a regular starting spot may be harder to come by. However, at Birmingham, Benson would definitely start and play for the club, and that may be a wiser move for him to get back into regular football, even if it's for a mid-table side.