Ipswich Town’s interest in Marcel Ruiz earlier this season came at a time when the midfielder was quietly putting together one of the strongest seasons of his career.
The 24-year-old has made 36 appearances across all competitions for Toluca, with three goals and four assists.
Ruiz has been one of the team’s most dependable performers, controlling rhythm and offering balance in midfield. That said, the same influence has not really carried over to international level, where he has struggled to make a similar impact during recent Mexico call-ups.
That backdrop makes the latest development feel more significant.
Ipswich Town had explored a move, but as reported by Diario de Yucatán, Ruiz decided against it. His thinking was simple – stay in Mexico, keep playing regularly, and build momentum ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Injury setback changes everything
That plan has now taken a clear hit. Marcel Ruiz has been left out of the latest Mexico squad named by Javier Aguirre, and the reason is a serious knee issue – a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament suffered back in March.
He has returned to action in recent weeks, but there are still doubts. The report explains that Ruiz chose not to undergo surgery, hoping to speed up his recovery and stay in contention for the World Cup. Mexico’s staff have taken a different view and decided not to take the risk.
Before the injury, Ruiz was firmly involved in the national team setup and pushing for a place. At the same time, his form with Toluca had started to attract attention from abroad, with Ipswich Town making concrete approaches.
Negotiations went well until the player himself backed out. As we covered at the time, the reason was that he wasn’t keen on joining Ipswich Town.
What’s next
Marcel Ruiz still has a small window to change things. Javier Aguirre must submit the final squad by June 1, so time is tight.
From Ipswich Town’s point of view, this now looks like one that got away – or at least one that turned differently. Ruiz turned down the move in favour of stability, but instead finds himself dealing with fitness concerns and an uncertain international future.
For now, his attention will be on Toluca’s Clausura 2026 knockout stage and the CONCACAF Champions Cup. What comes after that will likely depend on how his knee holds up over the next few weeks.
Ipswich could still come back in, and probably as a Premier League side. However, the situation around Ruiz has clearly shifted since those earlier talks.
