Stoke City and Wrexham AFC rivalling Derby County in transfer tug of war for £9m Ipswich Town man | OneFootball

Sammie Szmodics is a man in-demand ahead of the February 2 transfer deadline...

Ipswich Town forward Sammie Szmodics looks set to be one of the most in-demand players in the EFL heading into the final few days of the transfer window.

A Championship Golden Boot winner in the 2023-24 season with Blackburn Rovers, where he fired in 27 goals in a side that only just survived relegation from the second tier, Szmodics has not had the same kind of success with the Tractor Boys since his £9 million move in the summer of 2024.

In an injury-hit debut Premier League campaign, Szmodics found the back of the net four times for Town in his 20 outings, but the Republic of Ireland international's fitness setbacks have continued into the current season.

The 30-year-old has started just one Championship game since mid-October, which came in Saturday's 3-1 loss at Sheffield United - Szmodics was brought off after 57 minutes, and that could prove to be his final appearance for now for the Suffolk outfit.

Wrexham and Stoke City join Sammie Szmodics chase

Rumours are swirling surrouding Szmodics' future at Portman Road, especially with the interest in Paris FC attacker Ilan Kebbal, and Derby County are reported to have had an offer turned down for his services, with John Eustace looking to re-unite with his former Blackburn man.

They aren't the only Championship club keen on Szmodics though, with Alan Nixon revealing via Patreon that whilst Derby are leading the battle to land the experienced attacking midfielder, both Stoke City and Wrexham are also in the hunt for his signature.

Both the Potters and the Red Dragons are gunning for a top six finish this season, and in the case of the former, they have suffered injuries to a number of attackers recently, with Sam Gallagher, Divin Mubama and Robert Bozenik all sidelined - even with the arrival of Dutch attacker Milan Smit.

Wrexham meanwhile are in red-hot form as they attempt to secure a fourth consecutive promotion, and have been linked to teenage French striker Sidiki Cherif and Southampton talisman Adam Armstrong in the past week, with Szmodics the latest goal-getter that is on Phil Parkinson's radar, despite having names such as Kieffer Moore, Josh Windass, Nathan Broadhead and Sam Smith in attack.

Derby County could end up being gazumped in Sammie Szmodics battle

It isn't much of a shock that Szmodics finds himself at the centre of a transfer tug of war, given his past Championship form - even if 2025-26 hasn't gone well for him on a personal level.

Szmodics finds himself down the pecking order when everyone is fit under Kieran McKenna, and links to alternative attack-minded players arriving in Suffolk won't do him any favours either.

Linking up with his former manager Eustace would make a lot of sense, given the form he showed under his coaching at Blackburn, but all three clubs that are in the mix would represent another relocation for the attacking midfielder, who moved from Lancashire and returned closer to his Essex roots when he moved to Ipswich back in 2024.

If anyone's going to win the race for the Ireland international though, it could be Wrexham given their lavish funds - this tussle could go on until deadline day though potentially, given the quality of the player involved.