Ipswich Town: Leif Davis transfer exit should easily break 9-year record - View | OneFootball

Leif Davis has been as key to Ipswich Town’s rise from League One to Premier League promotion contention as anyone.

The full-back signed for the Tractor Boys in the summer of 2022 in a deal with Leeds United worth a reported £1 million.

That deal now looks like one of the club’s greatest ever bargains, with the defender proving crucial in the team’s promotion to the second tier.

Davis contributed 14 assists in League One last year as the team finished second in the table, and has gone from strength to strength over the last 12 months.

The 24-year-old has added another two goals and 17 assists to his name in the second tier with three games still to play.

Naturally, this has led to speculation over his future at Portman Road, especially if the club fails to seal promotion to the top flight.

Leif Davis’ Ipswich future

It has been reported that West Ham and Newcastle United are keeping tabs on the left-back ahead of the summer transfer window.

If Ipswich fail to gain a place in the top flight, then they may have to accept a reality in which the defender departs the club.

However, it should take breaking a nine-year record in order to convince Ipswich to part ways with such a key player.

The club’s highest ever transfer fee received came in 2015 when the Suffolk outfit sold Tyrone Mings to Bournemouth for a reported £8 million.

Davis only has a contract until the summer of 2025, although Ipswich holds an option for a further year that they will surely trigger.

This means they have some wiggle room going into the summer, and have no immediate need to sell the defender.

Ipswich must hold out for at least an eight-figure sum, as he is such a valuable member of Kieran McKenna’s first team squad.

He has been crucial to their promotion push this year, and has been a standout figure in the entire division, let alone in the Ipswich squad.

It comes as no surprise that the defender is the subject of Premier League transfer speculation, as he has been outstanding in the Championship.

While some have raised doubts over his defensive capability, his attacking prowess more than makes up for any deficiencies in his own third.

His 17 assists is the highest in the second division, and he creates up to 4.93 shots per 90 from left-back (all stats from Fbref).

This is hugely impressive, and highlights his importance to McKenna’s team.

The 24-year-old gets 1.89 touches in the opposition area each game, and receives 6.91 progressive passes per 90, with his ability to get into dangerous areas in the final third crucial to his creative spark.

He is also confident on the ball, completing 2.51 progressive carries and 3.43 progressive passes per game.

This is a player ready for the Premier League, so Ipswich’s final few games of the season will likely determine whether the club has any chance of holding onto him this summer.

But if he is to be sold, then it must take at least £10 million to prise him away from Portman Road.