Ipswich Town told to revisit £7m+ transfer deal - 'He'd be a phenomenal signing' | OneFootball

Ipswich Town were linked with the Mexican midfielder in the summer

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…

Ipswich Town have experienced a mixed first third of the 2025/26 campaign.

The Tractor Boys arrived back in the Championship as one of the firm favourites to clinch the title, but things haven’t quite materialised that way after 15 matches.

Kieran McKenna’s side failed to win any of their first four matches, which came as a huge shock to those who had expected Ipswich to walk the second-tier.

Results have steadily improved since then and 10 points in the Suffolk side’s last four matches before the November international break leaves them just six points shy of automatic promotion with a game in hand on the entire top six.

Ipswich possess immense quality within their ranks and when they have managed to combine, look to enjoy an attack that most Championship defences have no answer to. However, the Tractor Boys have failed to win in eight of their first 14 encounters, which highlights their struggles to break down low blocks regularly.

Ipswich Town told to revisit summer transfer in January window

With Ipswich now within touching distance of the play-offs and enjoying their best run of form this season, attention will turn to how they can maintain this advantage in the January transfer window.

Due to their recent time spent in the Premier League, coupled with the sales of Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson, McKenna’s side enjoys more resources than most in the Championship, which allows them to recruit on a more ambitious basis.

When queried on who he thinks the Tractor Boys should recruit in January, Football League World’s Ipswich Town fan pundit, Adam Wilkin, believes that the Suffolk outfit should explore a player they were linked to during the summer.

“Our biggest issue has been finding the solution to the No.10 position, and we've finally accidentally cracked it with Marcelino Núñez,” stated Adam. “I'd love to see him continue in that role.

“It probably means that the future of Sammie Szmodics and Chuba Akpom looks more doubtful as to where they're going to play, but I would then be keeping him as a starter for that role and looking to strengthen behind him.

“We were linked with Marcel Ruiz in the summer. I think he'd be a phenomenal signing if we went back in for him in January. He's still playing over in Mexico and still putting up good numbers, so I think he would provide a balance to our midfield option.

“Just that all-round midfielder who has a good passing is what we've been lacking with what we've currently got in that midfield unit at the moment.”

Marcel Ruiz would represent an unknown quantity for Ipswich Town

As Adam referenced, Ipswich were rumoured with completing a move for Ruiz during the summer transfer window, but that switch didn’t materialise.

The 25-year-old has impressed in Mexico due to his strong performances from midfield, where he combines contributing to the attack with defensive duties to strong effect.

Although Ruiz has clear potential, evidenced by the fact that he has made 12 appearances for the national team, he would arrive in England as an unknown quantity.

Ipswich’s reported move in the summer would’ve set them back £7.4m, which is quite the fee for a player who is untested in the English game.

Although he could provide the necessary boost to get McKenna’s side over the line in the promotion race, opting to spend similar money on a talent proven in the Championship, like what they did with Marcelino Nunez, could be a better route to go down.