Exclusive: Sky Sports pundit reacts to Ipswich Town's £10m pursuit of Man City man | OneFootball

Speaking exclusively with FLW, Lee Hendrie has weighed in on reports of Divin Mubama to Portman Road.

As Ipswich Town recalibrate their attacking plans following Liam Delap’s imminent £30 million move to Chelsea, attention has quickly turned to the next potential gem.

In keeping with their recruitment strategy - identifying young, high-potential talents from elite academies, Divin Mubama has emerged as a serious option, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

The 20-year-old Manchester City striker, who joined from West Ham last summer, is reportedly being monitored closely by the Tractor Boys, with a £10 million fee mooted.

With Mubama having impressed at Premier League 2 level and made a brief senior appearance last season, he represents the kind of calculated risk that Ipswich have previously thrived on.

It’s a model that worked wonders with Delap, whose 12-goal campaign saw him become the standout player for the Tractor Boys’ in 2024/25 - and now, they could be ready to dip into similar waters again.

Lee Hendrie makes Ipswich Town, Divin Mubama claim as McKenna seeks next attacking star

Football League World spoke exclusively with Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie to get his thoughts on a potential Mubama move to Ipswich.

“Ipswich obviously - they’re going to need a replacement for Delap, and Guardiola’s talked of a £10m fee for Mubama to replace him - do I think it’d be a good signing?” Hendrie told FLW.

“Listen, he’s 20 years of age, he’s had a good season in the PL2 scoring goals - the fact of the matter is that he could be absolutely phenomenal, couldn’t he? He could come in and fit the bill straight away.

“He’s obviously been doing things at a level below. I mean, I always think it could be a gamble, but I feel that he’s got the potential of being around West Ham and then going to City, where obviously he’s going to struggle to get game time.

“I do think it would be a great move for him, an actual fee that is negotiated or it’s a loan move, I mean you think it’d be a loan move would be the one, but £10m these days is not an awful lot of money.

"That could potentially earn you a hell of a lot more. I’m sure that Man City would have a sell-on clause if that was the case.

“But he’s obviously doing really good things that’s attracted Ipswich to take him on. So I think, listen, those signings can be a gamble, but for a young man who’s doing well and knows, probably, that he isn’t going to get in front of the likes of Haaland, you know, you have to think elsewhere, and Ipswich would be a great club for him.

"A good fit for both really.”

£10m gamble could pay off for Ipswich Town in Mubama pursuit

While Mubama is still somewhat of an unknown quantity in senior football, Hendrie’s assessment makes clear that the raw tools are all there, and that Ipswich might just be the ideal place for them to be fine-tuned.

A fee of £10 million would represent a serious investment, but in a market where proven strikers command extortionate fees, it could also be a shrewd long-term play.

If Kieran McKenna can unlock the same kind of form in Mubama that they once did in Delap, the rewards could be enormous.

With interest growing and competition for his signature likely to heat up, Ipswich's early move could make all the difference.