Ipswich Town knock back £35m Nottingham Forest transfer bid for star in fresh Portman Road update | OneFootball

According to reports, Ipswich Town have rejected a blockbuster £35 million bid from Nottingham Forest for Omari Hutchinson

Ipswich Town have reportedly rejected a blockbuster £35 million transfer offer from Nottingham Forest for Omari Hutchinson, who has been the subject of Premier League interest throughout this summer's window following his side's relegation to the Championship.

As reported on Thursday evening by David Ornstein of The Athletic, Ipswich have rejected a stunning bid from the City Ground outfit as they look to retain 21-year-old Hutchinson beyond the conclusion of the transfer window.

The Tractor Boys are seemingly holding out for a higher outlay in order to consider parting ways with Hutchinson, who has established himself as a key figure under popular head coach Kieran McKenna ever since joining Town in an initial loan deal from Chelsea two years ago.

Hutchinson returned 10 goals and five assists in the Championship to help inspire Ipswich's second successive promotion in the 2023/24 campaign, and they made his stay in Suffolk a permanent one last summer by striking a reported £22.5million deal with Chelsea.

The talented playmaker caught the eye despite Ipswich's relegation from the Premier League, finding the back of the net against Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur while adding a further two assists to emerge on the radars of a number of top-flight outfits.

Ipswich have sanctioned a number of outgoings ahead of the club's return to the Championship. Liam Delap's big-money switch to Chelsea has been the most notable sale at Portman Road this summer, of course, while stalwarts such as Cameron Burgess, Massimo Luongo and Sam Morsy have all moved on, too.

Town have made just four signings at the time of writing, with David Button, Cedric Kipre, Azor Matusiwa and Ashley Young linking up with McKenna's side, although they are closing in on the acquisition of Ajax frontman Chuba Akpom.

Ipswich Town reject £35m Nottingham Forest transfer bid for Omari Hutchinson

As per Ornstein's latest update, Ipswich have rejected Forest's £35 million proposal and are said to be demanding a higher price for Hutchinson's services in the event of a sale this month.

It's added that Brentford have retained an interest in the England youth international after lodging an unsuccessful approach earlier on in the window, which was also worth a reported £35 million.

Forest's offer, however, comes after Hutchinson missed last weekend's trip to French side Auxerre for Ipswich's final pre-season fixture as he "didn't feel mentally in the right place" amid speculation surrounding his future.

Hutchinson, who has also been linked to the likes of Everton, Inter Milan and RB Leipzig, is reportedly keen on playing in the Premier League this term after making a reasonable impression in his first-ever top-flight campaign.

It remains unclear whether Ipswich will be able to continue fending off transfer advances elsewhere, though, with interest in the playmaker's signature only increasing following an impressive campaign with England's U21 side as they won this summer's European Championships.

Ipswich Town will want Omari Hutchinson fully focused for 25/26 amid Nottingham Forest transfer bid

The latest development linking Hutchinson with a move away from the club is untimely for Ipswich and McKenna, who will want the attacking midfielder fully focused as they edge ever closer to the new season.

Ipswich will initiate the 2025/26 Championship campaign with a blockbuster showdown away to fellow promotion favourites Birmingham City on Friday evening, before returning to league action following a midweek EFL trip to League Two side Bromley by facing off against Southampton next weekend.

They are two daunting encounters to open the season with a potential baptism of fire for Ipswich, who will want to get off to a strong start and make a statement by picking up victories against two potential promotion rivals.

The last thing they need, at this moment in time, is more bids arriving for a prized asset like Hutchinson and the playmaker becoming unsettled, with all focus sure to be on Friday's trip to the West Midlands.