Ipswich Town plot transfer raid for £9k-a-week Bristol City ace | OneFootball

Anis Mehmeti has reportedly emerged as a transfer target for Kieran McKenna

Ipswich Town are reportedly plotting a transfer move for Bristol City's versatile forward, Anis Mehmeti, as Kieran McKenna looks to bolster his attacking options at Portman Road.

That is according to Football Insider, with the winter transfer window currently representing the final opportunity which the Robins may have to cash in on the 25-year-old's services, as his contract expires at Ashton Gate on June 30th.

Town have been linked with a plethora of potential transfer targets since the current window opened on New Year's Day, with many of those coming in the form of creative midfield players or centre-forwards, as they remain firmly in the hunt for automatic promotion as the Championship campaign continues to progress through January.

The Suffolk outfit had reached the automatic places at the turn of 2026, but currently find themselves two points behind second-placed Middlesbrough at present, albeit Kim Hellberg's men have now played one game more than the Tractor Boys, who saw their fixture against Portsmouth be postponed and subsequently re-arranged.

Meanwhile, it continues to be a season of intrigue for the Robins under Gerhard Struber, as the West Country side continue to feature amongst a host of sides fighting it out to secure a play-off finish at the end of the regular season.

The Reds, of course, did reach the top six at Championship level for the first time in 17 years last term, and they are currently ninth in the table with 19 games remaining, four places and three points behind Preston North End heading into the latest round of midweek action in the second tier which, ironically, sees them face off against Town at Portman Road

Mehmeti has been a key performer for three permanent head coaches in BS3 since his switch from Wycombe Wanderers in January 2023. However, City are now potentially at risk of losing his services for a cut-price figure to a promotion rival, which would come as a huge blow to their own aims.

Ipswich Town plot Bristol City, Anis Mehmeti transfer raid ahead of midweek clash

Football Insider's aforementioned revelation came on Monday evening, 25 hours ahead of Ipswich's and Bristol City's second clash of the season after the reverse fixture ended in a 1-1 draw in BS3 on September 30th.

The report states that Town are looking to lure the three-time international to their squad in what remains of the transfer window, with his current contractual situation at Ashton Gate - which includes an ESTIMATED £9,000 per week wage - a key factor in proceedings

It has been claimed, unsurprisingly, that City are continuing to seek a breakthrough in talks with the London-born man in order to tie him down to a new contract. But, Ipswich are looking to show their hand in this particular saga, with there being just over five months left on Mehmeti's current deal.

After ironically progressing through the ranks at Town's bitter East Anglian rivals, Norwich City, Mehmeti's major breakthrough in the senior game came with Wycombe, where he scored 19 times and provided a further nine assists in 97 appearances, before moving up to Championship level three years ago.

Since linking up with the Robins during the second half of Nigel Pearson's final full season in charge, he has scored 26 times and provided nine assists.

Indeed, Mehmeti has been one of the Championship's shining lights so far this season whilst featuring in a whole host of positions for Struber amid a well-documented injury crisis at Ashton Gate.

Throughout 30 appearances in all competitions thus far, he has found the back of the net nine times and posted a further six assists.

Anis Mehmeti could be left with a major dilemma amid Ipswich Town, Bristol City transfer revelation

Town had been linked with the likes of Tom Cairney, Lyndon Dykes and Callum Wilson earlier this window, with all three players potentially offering a wealth of potential experience to McKenna. However, the Northern Irishman has now had to turn his attention elsewhere.

Given his current predicament and ability in BS3, it comes as no real surprise that Mehmeti has emerged as a target, although his profile is extremely different to the aforementioned trio due to his versatility, speed and technical ability.

There's no doubt that a player of Mehmeti's quality could be the difference between automatic promotion or the play-offs for Town, whilst the same can certainly be said for City in their bid for the top six, and the fact they are only seven points behind Ipswich at present.