Ipswich Town’s summer rebuild keeps rolling on, and their latest reported target throws them into a genuine three-way scrap for one of the Championship’s most sought-after strikers. Wilson Isidor, the 25-year-old French forward on Sunderland’s books, finds himself right at the centre of a heated transfer tussle, with Ipswich understood to be leading the race on paper, even as his own manager insists he isn’t going anywhere.
The Interest Is Real, And Ipswich Mean Business
Reports place Ipswich’s prepared offer at around £14 million, comfortably the highest bid currently on the table among the interested parties. Hull City sit slightly behind with an offer closer to the £10-12 million range, while West Ham United also circle the situation, with their financial muscle potentially allowing them to outbid both Championship rivals if they choose to push harder.
For Ipswich, the logic is straightforward. Boss Kieran McKenna has stuck rigidly to his preferred 4-2-3-1 system since taking charge back in December 2021, and that shape demands a lone striker capable of holding the ball up, linking play, and still finding the net regularly. With Premier League football returning to Portman Road, strengthening that position becomes an obvious priority, especially with question marks hanging over the goal output of Ipswich’s existing forward options.
Why Isidor Fits The Profile
Isidor brings a blend of physicality and composure that suits exactly what McKenna wants from his No. 9. He arrives at Sunderland in 2024, initially on loan from Zenit Saint Petersburg before making the move permanent in February 2025, and goes on to play a part in Sunderland’s promotion push, contributing goals and assists along the way. A year of top-flight experience under his belt only adds to his appeal for a newly promoted side needing players who already understand the demands of Premier League football.
His contract runs until June 2028, giving Sunderland some leverage in negotiations, and his current market value sits around eighteen million euros according to Transfermarkt, a figure that puts Ipswich’s reported £14 million offer some distance below what Sunderland previously demanded.
Sunderland Dig In Their Heels
Here’s where the story gets complicated. Sunderland head coach Régis Le Bris delivers a firm, unambiguous response when pressed on Isidor’s future following his side’s pre-season win over RC Lens, a result that comes against a side who finish second in Ligue 1 and lift the Coupe de France the previous season. Le Bris insists Isidor stays put, pointing to the sheer scale of an expanded fifty-five game campaign as reason enough to keep squad depth intact rather than cash in on a player he clearly still values.
Isidor himself underlines the point with a sharp finish during that same win over Lens, a timely reminder of his quality just as speculation over his future intensifies. Reports suggest the forward is in no rush to leave Wearside either, content for now with his role and the chance to fight for more minutes given Sunderland’s punishing fixture list this season.
What Happens Next
Sunderland previously set an asking price of £25 million back in January, a figure that deterred earlier suitors, and there is a suggestion they may eventually need to soften that stance as the summer wears on. For now though, the situation remains a genuine standoff: three clubs circling, one club publicly refusing to sell, and a player seemingly happy to let the chaos play out around him.
Ipswich will hope patience and their leading offer eventually tip things in their favour. Whether Sunderland’s resolve holds until deadline day is the question that now defines this transfer saga.
