Breaking: Ipswich Town set to sign Morsy replacement

Ben Sheaf could be a long-term upgrade on Sam Morsy for Ipswich Town

Our FLW writers shared their thoughts on whether Ipswich should pursue signing Sheaf and the potential cost of convincing the Sky Blues to sell.

Declan Harte

Sheaf’s arrival at Ipswich would most likely result in the departure of either Sam Morsy or Massimo Luongo from the team.

The 32-year-old, in particular, would be in danger of losing his position in the team, despite being a fixture in both of their promotion efforts over the last two years.

While Morsy performed well in the Championship, McKenna should try to reinforce the midfield this summer due to a lack of depth.

Sheaf might cost between £10 million and $15 million, which is the amount of money Ipswich will need to spend to upgrade elements of their team now that they are in the Premier League.

But the money could be worth it, as Sheaf has been great for Coventry and demonstrated his ability to compete in the top tier during the Sky Blues’ FA Cup run.

He held his own against Wolves and Manchester United, and he was outstanding in the team’s pursuit of a league play-off spot this season.

Sheaf is an excellent ball player who would complement McKenna’s attacking style of play, making him a valuable addition to the team for life in the Premier League.

Ben Wignall

Sheaf has been one of those players who goes unnoticed for the hard labor he does in midfield, allowing Callum O’Hare and, before him, Gustavo Hamer and Viktor Gyokeres to do their thing farther up the pitch.

Sheaf, on the other hand, is no longer flying under the radar, as his exploits have caught the attention of several top-flight clubs, including newly promoted Ipswich Town.

You can see Kieran McKenna’s appeal: all of his regular first-choice midfielders from last season are over 30, and Jack Taylor, while talented, did not start enough this season to be considered a starter for 2024-25 right now.

Sheaf would not come cheap, however, with Mark Robins admitting that it would take record bids to lure away his key players this summer – implying that if the Tractor Boys want the midfield master, they will have to pay more than £17 million.

Regardless of the price, I could see Sheaf slotting in next to Sam Morsy in the engine room very nicely, and in the long run, he might be an ideal Morsy replacement for approximately £15 million if they can work out a contract.