Ipswich Town backed to seal £3.9m transfer deal - but 'I do have one question mark' | OneFootball

FLW's Ipswich Town expert Adam Wilkin has urged the Tractor Boys to sign Cedric Kipre on a permanent deal after his loan spell at Portman Road.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Centre-back Cedric Kipre has been a surprise package for Ipswich Town this season, and the Tractor Boys have been urged to make his signing permanent at the end of his loan spell.

The Ivorian joined Town on loan from Stade de Reims in Ligue 2 in the summer, which includes an option to buy in the summer, that becomes mandatory if Kieran McKenna's side win promotion to the Premier League.

Ipswich will have to pay a reported fee of £3.9m to make the deal for Kipre permanent if they do go up, but that may feel like more of a reward than a burden, given his impressive performances so far this season.

The 29-year-old has thrived on his return to England, having last played for West Bromwich Albion before his move to France, scoring two goals in 13 Championship outings, and chipping in with some key defensive contributions.

With that in mind, the Suffolk club would likely be keen to add Kipre to their ranks permanently, as he's played a huge part in getting them into the promotion mix after an inconsistent start to the season.

Ipswich Town urged to make Cedric Kipre deal permanent - but 'I do have one question mark'

Following a 3-1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, in which Kipre opened the scoring, Football League World spoke to their resident Ipswich expert, Adam Wilkin, asking him whether he would welcome a permanent deal for the defender or not.

Adam believes a permanent agreement for Kipre, who wants to stay on at Portman Road, would make "complete sense" — even if he did admit to having concerns about how much the former West Bromwich Albion and Cardiff City defender's lack of pace could be exposed if Ipswich reach the Premier League.

Wilkin responded: "I think particularly after his recent performances and the small value of the fee at the end of the loan, it would make complete sense to keep Cedric Kipre at the club on a permanent deal.

"I do have one question mark over his pace in the Premier League, and whether he'll be able to cover runners in behind with that extra level of talent and skill that Premier League players have, and that extra level of pace.

"He reads the game very well, which covers him at Championship level, but I think even if you read the game really well, you can still get exposed for pace in the Premier League, so that would be one reservation that I'd have.

"I think I'd definitely still take him in a permanent deal," Adam concluded.

With the amount of money that would likely come Ipswich's way should they gain promotion, particularly via the play-offs, then it's hard to disagree with Adam, as £3.9m would be just pocket change for the Tractor Boys.

Cedric Kipre would be heading into an uncharted territory in the Premier League

The question Adam raised about Kipre's ability to adapt to the Premier League is a very valid point, as the defender has yet to make an appearance in the English top flight in his career.

Of course, the talent, skill, pace, and technique of some of the attackers he would face is significantly better than what he's faced in the Championship thus far, which will be a tough ask for the 29-year-old.

However, if he maintains his current trajectory, and utilises his excellent ability to read the game, there's no reason why the Ivorian can't adapt to the Premier League, particularly with a strong team and familiar system around him.

You feel that making his deal permanent is a no-brainer, as it requires a relatively small fee for a player who has been hugely important in Ipswich's resurgence this season.