Ipswich Town eyeing ambitious Serie A transfer raid ahead of February 2nd - he cost €18m in 2024 | OneFootball

Ipswich Town are interested in signing Bologna's Thijs Dallinga ahead of Monday's transfer deadline.

Ipswich Town are eyeing an ambitious transfer raid as we edge ever closer to the conclusion of the January transfer window, with fresh additions plotted in order to bolster the side's promotion ambitions.

The Tractor Boys have enjoyed a positive Championship campaign so far, although they trail the top two by five points, even if they do have a game in hand.

So, automatic promotion is the aim for Kieran McKenna, and it seems he is keen on adding reinforcements to his talented squad as they seek an immediate return to the Premier League.

Ipswich will be looking to close the gap between themselves and league leaders Coventry City in the coming weeks amid more inconsistent form of late from Frank Lampard's side, and some fresh firepower could well propel Town to the Championship title.

Ipswich Town make proposal to sign Thijs Dallinga

In a fresh update, Italian media outlet Il Resto del Carlino has revealed that Ipswich have put an offer to Bologna to sign striker Thijs Dallinga, who is considering his options going into the final few days of the window.

The Dutch striker joined the Serie A side in the summer of 2024 from Toulouse after two impressive years in France, where he hit double figures in both seasons.

However, Dallinga, who was signed to replace Manchester United's Joshua Zirkzee, has struggled to replicate that form in Italy, as he found the net just three times in the league last season.

That has continued in the current campaign, with Dallinga only scoring once, and he has failed to establish himself as a regular in the XI, with most of his appearances coming from the bench.

Therefore, the update states Bologna could be open to his exit, and they claim Ipswich have made a ‘proposal’ for Dallinga. Yet, they add that the 25-year-old has put any move to Portman Road ‘on hold’ as he isn’t keen on moving to the Championship.

Thijs Dallinga would be a statement signing for Ipswich Town

Even though Dallinga hasn’t kicked on since his move to Bologna, there’s no denying that he is a very good player, and it’s worth remembering that they paid around €18m to sign the attacker.

That shows how highly rated he was, so to get a player of that calibre into the Championship would be a real statement of intent by Ipswich.

McKenna isn’t in a position where he desperately needs a new striker, but if they have the possibility to get someone who is a clear upgrade, then it’s something the club should pursue - and you’d have to say that Dallinga fits into that category.

Obviously, the report indicates they have a lot of work to do to convince Dallinga to come to Suffolk, but it’s understandable that he will consider all options.

Ultimately, this is one to watch up to the deadline, and it shows that Ipswich are looking for genuine quality to help their promotion push.