Oxford United set to beat Barnsley, Derby County to £400k Ipswich Town deal | OneFootball

The Tunisian is set to complete the deal to the U's after interest from fellow EFL sides

Oxford United look set to win the race for the signature of Ipswich Town midfielder Idris El Mizouni this summer, according to Ipswich Star reporter Stuart Watson.

The 23-year-old is set to move to the Championship new boys in a reported £400,000 move, with a three-year deal said to have been agreed for the Tunisian.

The combative midfielder has spent the previous two campaigns on loan at Leyton Orient, whom he helped win the League Two title in 22/23, before finishing in the top half of the third tier in the previous campaign.

The U’s are said to have beaten both Derby County and Barnsley to his signature this summer, as Des Buckingham continues to put together a squad to compete in the second tier after their playoff success in May.

Idris El Mizouni set to secure £400k Oxford United move from Ipswich Town

Despite making his debut for the Tractor Boys back in 2019, El Mizouni has found game time hard to come by with Town in recent seasons, with five separate loan spells seeing him play the majority fo his football away from the East Anglian outfit.

After starting off with two successive stints with Cambridge United, the midfielder also spent six months at Blundell Park with Grimsby Town in the 2020/21 campaign, before establishing himself as a regular in the Orient side for the past two seasons.

After joining the O’s for the first time in the summer of 2022, the Tunisian’s presence in the middle of the park made a massive impact on Richie Wellens’ side, as they cantered to the League Two title, with El Mizouni featuring in 41 of his temporary side’s league matches.

It was no surprise when the East London outfit demanded a second loan spell last summer, with the Town loanee making the step up to third tier with relative ease, as Orient comfortably adapted to their new surroundings.

Having racked up 81 league league appearances for the O’s, the Tunisian has gathered plenty of Football League experience during his time away from Portman Road, with the newly promoted Premier League side set to cash in on their asset this summer.

The midfielder’s tenacity can be seen in the underlying numbers of his previous campaign, with 1.8 successful tackles per 90 seeing him ranks among the top 20 players in the division for winning the ball back in games, as well as his 1.2 interceptions per 90 metric, which also ranks highly among League One players.

Oxford United continue Championship preparation with Idris El Mizouni arrival

Once the proposed signing of El Mizouni is completed, the Tunisian will become the seventh Oxford United signing of the summer, as Buckingham prepares for his side’s assault on the second tier.

The U’s have already drafted in Jamie Cumming and Jacob Knightbridge to compete for the role between the sticks next season, while Will Vaulks [pictured] has made the move to the Kassam Stadium after leaving Championship rivals Sheffield Wednesday.

Louie Sibley has also joined the club after leaving Derby County this summer, while Peter Kioso’s dependability on the right side can be called upon after the defender agreed to sign from Rotherham United.