Ipswich Town set to seal shock eight-figure transfer swoop for Norwich City's Marcelino Nunez | OneFootball

Ipswich Town are set to sign Marcelino Nunez from rivals Norwich City in a deal worth up to £10m.

Ipswich Town are set to sign Marcelino Nunez from bitter rivals Norwich City in a shock deal that is worth up to £10 million.

Kieran McKenna has been looking to add midfield reinforcements to his squad for much of the summer window, with a host of players having left the club from the previous campaign, including influential skipper Sam Morsy.

A slow start to the Championship season has increased the need for a new addition ahead of Monday’s deadline, and it appears they have made a breakthrough, with Nunez set to cross the East Anglian divide.

Ipswich Town agree deal for Norwich City’s Marcelino Nunez

That’s after John Percy of The Telgraph confirmed that the two clubs had agreed a deal that is worth up to £10m, which includes £2.5m in ‘achievable bonuses’.

Interestingly, he adds that Nunez has been pushing to make the switch to Portman Road, whilst the fact the Chile international has entered the final 12 months of his contract meant the Canaries were reluctantly open to a sale.

Percy's update also states how Nunez had rejected at least two contract offers from Norwich, who have seemingly had their hand forced into sanctioning a sale.

The 25-year-old has been a regular for Norwich over the past three years since his arrival from Universidad Catolica, and he enjoyed his most productive season last time out, scoring six goals and registering four assists in 32 appearances.

Marcelino Nunez can help Ipswich Town’s promotion push

Of course, this is a transfer that is going to be controversial, as not many players will make the switch between the rivals, so that will increase the spotlight and pressure on Nunez.

But, purely from a football perspective, it’s a deal that makes a lot of sense for Ipswich, as they need to add more quality to the middle of the park, and in Nunez they will be getting someone who can help them control the tempo.

He boasts great technical ability, and he should be able to quickly feed the ball into the attacking areas, which Ipswich have lacked in their opening few games, where they have struggled to create clear opportunities.

Meanwhile, for Norwich, it’s a good deal for a player who has a year left on his contract, and the update indicates that Nunez wanted to go, so there is no point in keeping him around.

It’s said that Pelle Mattsson will join from Silkeborg to replace Nunez for around £2.7m, so it’s decent business from Norwich, although the fans will hope that there is still room in the budget to add to Liam Manning’s squad, as they have also endured a difficult start to the season.