Ipswich Town news: Lennon Miller interest, £1bn valuation claim, Cedric Kipre deal | OneFootball

All the latest news surrounding Ipswich Town.

Ipswich Town are preparing for life back in the Championship after finishing 19th in the Premier League table last season.

Kieran McKenna’s side were unable to sustain their impressive rise, having earned back-to-back promotions in the previous two years.

However, the Tractor Boys will have their sights set on another promotion back to the top flight next term, with their long-term aim being to establish themselves at that level.

Their campaign will get underway on 8 August with a clash against the newly-promoted Birmingham City at St. Andrew’s.

Before then, we take a look at all the latest news surrounding Ipswich…

Lennon Miller interest

Ipswich are reportedly among the clubs interested in signing Lennon Miller from Motherwell this summer.

According to The Scottish Sun, the Suffolk outfit are admirers of the 18-year-old, but they will face stiff competition to seal his signature.

It has been claimed that Southampton are also keeping tabs on the midfielder, along with Italian clubs Udinese and Como.

It’s believed that he is valued at £4.5 million after enjoying a strong campaign in the Scottish Premiership, helping Motherwell finish eighth in the table.

Ipswich Town close in on Dutch midfielder

According to L’Equipe, Ipswich are closing in on a deal to sign Azor Matusiwa from Rennes.

It has been claimed that a deal worth €11.5 (£9.9) million has been agreed between the two clubs for the 27-year-old.

Matusiwa has spent the last 18 months with the Ligue 1 side, but has fallen down the pecking order under manager Habib Beye.

The central midfielder featured 29 times in the French top flight last season, with the team coming 12th in the table.

Ipswich’s £1 billion valuation claim

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has outlined why Ipswich will need to earn regular Premier League football before being valued at the £1 billion mark.

It was claimed by Forbes that only 14 clubs in European football have passed that threshold, with part-owner Brett Johnson suggesting it’s their long-term goal over the next five years.

“For a business which has lost money in probably nine years of the last 10 – the only year they made profit was the one season in the Premier League,” said Maguire, via the East Anglian Daily Times.

“You’d only achieve a £1 billion valuation if you’ve proven yourself to be a regular feature of the Premier League, and the Premier League revenues continue to rise.

“It looks like those are flatlining at present. The TV deal has shown little growth, there’s limited opportunity for sponsorship growth.

“In terms of matchday revenue, if you put prices up for Ipswich Town fans, I think they would feel very disappointed.

“Could you expand it to a 40k-seater stadium? Well, it might work in the Premier League, but if you’re yo-yoing between the Premier League and the Championship, or you spend a few more years in the Championship, it’s not going to get a return on investment.”

Cedric Kipre move

Ipswich’s summer business is kicking into gear with the new season now just a matter of weeks away.

It has been reported by L’Equipe that a move for Cedric Kipre has almost been finalised.

It is understood that a loan deal for the 28-year-old has been agreed, which will bring him back to English football, having spent numerous years previously in his career with Wigan Athletic and West Brom, as well as spending the 22/23 season on loan with Cardiff City.