Ipswich Town must take advantage of Wolfsburg situation - Sheffield United would hate it | OneFootball

Ipswich Town should look to sign former Sheffield United midfielder Vinicius Souza following Wolfsburg's relegation

Ipswich Town will have the opportunity to cement their status as a Premier League club next season for the second time in three years, after Kieran McKenna guided the Tractor Boys to automatic promotion once again.

Three promotions in four years for Ipswich sees the Suffolk-based outfit preparing for the trials and tribulations of top-flight football once again.

Last time around, the argument could be made that they were ill-prepared for Premier League football, with a squad containing a lot of players who had been with the club since League One.

This time around, that isn't the case, and Ipswich are seemingly better suited for the top flight this time around, and McKenna will be keen to utilise the upcoming summer transfer window to the best of his ability to ensure that is the case.

Midfield remains a glaring area in need of recruitment, as with both Dan Neil and Jens Cajuste's loans expiring, this leaves just Azor Matusiwa and Jack Taylor as the club's only two options heading into next season, and they should be looking to exploit Wolfsburg's recent relegation with a move for a former Sheffield United midfielder.

Ipswich Town should target former Sheffield United midfielder Vinicius Souza after Wolfsburg's relegation

With Neil looking likely to make the move to Ibrox to link up with former Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl at Rangers and Cajuste's loan deal yet to have turned into a permanent, despite Ipswich having the option to trigger the deal, Ipswich are short on midfielders heading into the Premier League.

Matusiwa starred for the Tractor Boys in his first season at Portman Road, and will likely retain his place in midfield as they head into the top flight, though whether Taylor is capable of making the step up and cementing his place in McKenna's starting 11 is, at this stage, doubtful.

The Tractor Boys must be on the lookout for reinforcements in the middle of the park, and should look to take advantage of Wolfsburg's relegation from the Bundesliga with a move for former Sheffield United midfielder Vinicius Souza.

Souza, 26, joined the Blades in the summer of 2023 from Lommel SK for around £10 million, a club under the City Group model, which also owns Manchester City, and in two seasons in South Yorkshire, the Brazilian would make 76 appearances across all competitions.

He would suffer relegation from the Premier League in 2024 and heartbreak in the play-off final in 2025 as Sheffield United were beaten late on by Sunderland at Wembley, and subsequently joined German side Wolfsburg for around £13 million shortly after.

However, things haven't gone as planned at the Volkswagen Arena, as Wolfsburg, despite boasting the likes of Christian Eriksen, Jesper Lindstrom, and Souza, has slipped into the second tier for the first time in 29 seasons, losing to Paderborn in the relegation play-off, making it three years in a row with the season ending in disappointment for the midfielder.

Despite having signed a five-year deal in Germany, Souza could well look to jump ship this summer, and Ipswich should offer him a route back to the United Kingdom.

A strong, defensive-minded player, the 26-year-old could be an excellent option for McKenna in the middle of the park, capable of providing backup and competition to Matusiwa, or able to play alongside the Dutchman.

Wolfsburg will be looking to raise funds this summer following relegation, and Souza could be a player who is moved on to do just that, as the Tractor Boys should take advantage of the situation.

McKenna will be aware of the areas in which he needs to improve this summer, and midfield will almost certainly be one of those. For a 26-year-old who already has a full year of Premier League experience under his belt and will be available on the cheap, this move should be a no-brainer for Ipswich.

Kieran McKenna must target midfield reinforcements at Ipswich Town this summer and should consider Vinicius Souza

Heading into the summer, McKenna will be well aware that the transfer window presents an opportunity for Ipswich to strengthen areas of weakness.

Last time around, their efforts weren't enough to keep them afloat in the top flight, and the Northern Irishman will be doing everything in his power to ensure they don't meet the same fate this time in 12 months.

Souza would be an excellent option for Ipswich, and with interest likely to be rife in the Brazilian considering his current predicament, the Tractor Boys should move swiftly to get this deal over the line, in a move Sheffield United supporters will surely hate.