Ipswich Town have made a third offer for Exequiel Palacios and now appear very close to reaching an agreement with Bayer Leverkusen.
The Premier League side have kept pushing after their previous attempts fell short of the German club’s demands.
Argentine journalist Renzo Pantich now brings a significant update. He says Ipswich’s latest package is worth €30m (£26m), including the transfer fee and bonuses.
More importantly, this third attempt could finally get the deal over the line.
Ipswich and Leverkusen “very, very close”
Pantich says Ipswich have submitted their third consecutive offer and hope it will be their last.
Speaking about the situation, he says the clubs are “very, very close” to reaching an agreement and completing the transfer.
Ipswich’s first offer was considered insufficient by Bayer Leverkusen. Reports from Argentina put the German club’s demands at around €35m (£30.3m).
A second proposal followed, but that also remained below Leverkusen’s expectations.
Ipswich have now increased their package to €30m (£26m). Pantich’s information suggests that has brought the clubs much closer together.
Previous obstacles appear to be fading
There had also been some doubt over Palacios’ willingness to make the move. La Nación previously reported that the midfielder would prefer to join a “bigger club” if he left Bayer Leverkusen.
Now Pantich says Palacios is now very keen to becoming a Premier League player.
The 27-year-old has been at Bayer Leverkusen since January 2020. His last season was disrupted by a serious right adductor injury, which kept him out for much of the first half of the campaign. He still finished with 25 appearances, one assist and a World Cup call.
River Plate would also benefit considerably from the transfer. Pantich says the Argentine club should receive around €4.3m (£3.7m) from the operation through their rights connected to a future sale and FIFA’s solidarity mechanism.
For Ipswich, though, the important part is that their persistence appears to be paying off. After two unsuccessful attempts, the €30m (£26m) third offer has seemingly put Palacios within touching distance of a move to England.
