Fabrizio Romano broke the news on Thursday night that Ipswich Town had opened negotiations with Chelsea to sign former Gunner Omari Hutchinson on a permanent deal.
Romano reports that German clubs were also keen, but Ipswich are now pushing, with Kieran McKenna’s decision to stay with the club a key factor.
Talks are ongoing, but Ipswich are reportedly hoping to get a deal done.
Sami Mokbel then confirmed for the Daily Mail that Ipswich are looking to sign Hutchinson in a £22m deal, with growing hope that the move can be successfully concluded.
Mokbel reports that Hutchinson is open to the move, and Ipswich are looking to finalise it as their top priority this summer.
If Hutchinson does end up making the move, it would be good news for Arsenal.
Back in 2022, when the Gunners sold Hutchinson to Chelsea, The Athletic reported that they’d only brought in a relatively modest fee.
However, the deal included a sell-on clause, so Arsenal will take a cut of whatever Chelsea earn for Hutchinson’s sale. The exact value of the clause is unknown.
Hutchinson has made two appearances for Chelsea since his 2022 transfer, but he hasn’t featured in a squad for them since his last appearance on the pitch in January 2023.
This season, he played 50 times for Ipswich Town in the Championship, scoring 11 goals and providing six assists.
With Ipswich now in the Premier League, they’re looking to make a couple of big moves in the market to ensure they don’t drop straight back down.