As Ipswich Town ramps up its preparations for a highly anticipated comeback to the English Premier League, the Championship-bound side has sealed a £20 million transfer deal to acquire talented Ghanaian winger Abdul Fatawu from relegated Leicester City.
The 22-year-old attacking talent, who featured for Ghana in all four of the country’s matches at the recent FIFA World Cup, has put pen to paper on a five-year contract with Gary O’Neil’s squad. Fatawu originally joined Leicester from Sporting CP back in 2023, and over his two seasons with the Foxes, he notched 16 goals across 100 appearances in all competitions. He now makes the move to Portman Road, with the club set to open the door for outgoing winger Jaden Philogene if the right bid materializes.
The 24-year-old Philogene has drawn significant transfer interest from multiple top clubs across European football, with Serie A sides Bologna and Roma, along with Portuguese Primeira Liga giant Benfica, all listed as confirmed suitors. Ipswich’s hierarchy has confirmed they will approve a transfer for the winger as soon as an offer that meets the club’s valuation is submitted.
Fatawu’s arrival marks Ipswich’s fifth major senior signing of the 2025 summer transfer window. Earlier this month, the club broke its transfer record to land Brazilian striker Emersonn from French Ligue 1 side Toulouse for a fee reported around £26 million. Following successful loan spells that helped the club secure promotion last season, defender Cedric Kipre and forward Chuba Akpom both made their permanent transfers to Portman Road, while goalkeeper Kayne van Oevelen joined from Dutch Eredivisie side FC Volendam to bolster the club’s goalkeeping depth.
In comments after the transfer was confirmed, Fatawu expressed his enthusiasm for joining the ambitious promoted side, saying: “The ambition the club has is very exciting and I’m looking forward to being a part of that as we prepare for the Premier League season. After speaking to the manager, I know what the expectation is and I’m looking forward to meeting my team-mates and starting work. I have played against Ipswich a few times during my time in England and I know how passionate the supporters are for the club, so I’m excited to play for them and show them what I can do.”
Fatawu was part of the Leicester City squad that suffered a shocking relegation out of the Championship last season, dropping the Foxes down to League One, the third tier of English football, for the 2025-26 campaign. Leicester will now spend their second consecutive season outside of the top two divisions of English football, while Ipswich, who secured automatic promotion after finishing second in the Championship last term, is gearing up to kick off its top-flight return with a home fixture against Sunderland on August 22.