Ipswich Town could face an unexpected January transfer situation, with River Plate planning to bring Exequiel Palacios back to Argentina just months after his arrival from Bayer Leverkusen.
The midfielder only joined the Premier League side in August, following a lengthy transfer saga which saw Ipswich submit three offers to convince the German club.
Now, River are apparently preparing to test the possibility of a return. There is even a suggestion Palacios would welcome the move, although his first few months in England give him little obvious reason to rush away.
River Plate president wants Ipswich midfielder back
According to Argentine outlet El Crack Deportivo, River president Stefano Di Carlo has identified Palacios as a target for the January transfer window.
The Buenos Aires club endured a disappointing year and are already looking at ways to strengthen their squad for 2027.
Di Carlo reportedly wants to convince the 28-year-old to return to his former club, where he developed before moving to Bayer Leverkusen in January 2020. Interestingly, the report also claims Palacios has a return to River in mind.
There is a catch, though. Di Carlo hasn’t actually contacted the player yet. The Argentine outlet says that could happen in the coming weeks.
So, for now, this is a plan from River’s side, with no reported negotiations involving Ipswich.
Ipswich have little reason to let him go
River might fancy their chances, but Palacios is hardly struggling for football in England. The midfielder has featured in eight of Ipswich’s nine Premier League matches this season, starting most of them and playing 574 minutes under Frank Lampard.
He hasn’t registered a goal or an assist yet, but his regular involvement makes him as an important part of the squad.
And Ipswich went to considerable trouble to get him. Their first two offers failed to satisfy Bayer Leverkusen, before a third proposal worth €30m, including bonuses, brought negotiations closer to a conclusion.
The eventual transfer was reportedly worth around €22.5m, with further add-ons possible. Palacios signed a contract running until June 2030.
That makes the prospect of a January departure quite awkward. Ipswich have only just invested in the Argentina international and are already giving him regular Premier League football.
Even if Palacios does fancy returning to Buenos Aires at some point, giving up that opportunity after five months would be a big decision. River would also have to convince Ipswich to part with a player they spent much of the summer pursuing.
For now, the Argentine club’s interest looks more like an ambitious plan than an imminent transfer. Di Carlo still has to make his first approach, and Ipswich have plenty of reasons to make his job difficult.
