Ipswich Town keen to take action on £27.5k-a-week star as Burnley, Leeds United plot moves | OneFootball

The Tractor Boys are hoping to tie down an important member of their squad, as Leeds United and Burnley circle.

Ipswich Town are keen to extend George Hirst's contract in an attempt to fend off possible summer transfer interest from Leeds United and Burnley.

That's according to a post from journalist Pete O'Rourke via X on 23 April.

The Tractor Boys are on the brink of being relegated from the Premier League this season, and focus will now be shifting to preparing for life back in the Championship.

As for Leeds and Burnley, they're doing the exact opposite, as having secured their seats in English football's top flight for next season, both clubs will be plotting ways in which they can give themselves the best chance of surviving in the Premier League next term.

Ipswich Town ready to take George Hirst contract action as Leeds United, Burnley circle

As revealed by O'Rourke on Wednesday, Ipswich are hoping to tie down the 26-year-old centre-forward to a new deal at Portman Road.

That's because it's said that Leeds United and Burnley are both eyeing up a potential summer swoop for the Scotland international.

O'Rourke reports that the Tractor Boys are desperate to retain the services of their striker heading into next season, as their star striker Liam Delap is expected to leave the club in a big-money move at the end of the season.

Hirst has been a permanent Ipswich player since the summer of 2023, having signed for the club from Leicester City following a loan spell with the club during the second half of the 2022/23 season.

He is contracted with the Suffolk-based outfit until June 2027, where he is said to be earning a weekly wage of £27,500 - per Capology.

Ipswich Town would be wise to extend Hirst's contract

With Ipswich set to return to the second tier, they are going to need all the proven Championship performers they can get in order to give themselves the best chance of making an immediate return to the Premier League.

Hirst is certainly one of those players. The centre-forward played a key role in helping Kieran McKenna's side stun the division in 2023/24, as the newly-promoted side out of League One made their way to a second-placed finish in their debut season back in the second tier.

His seven goals and six assists in 26 league appearances during that memorable season were worth their weight in Premier League promotion gold for Ipswich.

Therefore, having proven himself to be a quality player at Championship level, Hirst could well play a big role once again in the second tier next season, and Ipswich won't want to lose a player they know can help them massively on their mission back to the top flight.

As such, handing the Scotsman fresh terms and keeping him around for the foreseeable future at Portman Road may not grab the headlines in terms of the business Ipswich Town complete this summer, but it could well prove to be one of the wisest things the club could do.