Jaden Philogene ‘really keen’ to come to Ipswich Town from Aston Villa in ‘complicated’ transfer, explains Kieran McKenna
Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna has said the deal to sign winger Jaden Philogene is ‘complicated’ but is ‘progressing pretty well’ with the player ‘really keen’ to join.
The 22-year-old, who almost made a summer switch from Hully City to the Blues before Aston Villa invoked a matching rights clause before resigning him, underwent a medical in Suffolk six days ago with the move seeming to have stalled.
But McKenna allayed fears the move to finally secure the England Under-21 international had broke down - having first tried to sign him in the summer of 2023 following promotion to the Championship - at this afternoon’s pre-match press conference ahead of hosting Brighton & Hove Albion tomorrow (7.45pm).
Asked if a reported £20 million switch to Portman Road was any closer, given that Villa have agreed a fee with fellow right-sided attacker Donyell Malen from Borussia Dortmund, the Town boss responded: “No, look, I think I'll nearly always take the approach of not speaking about another team's player. But I think in this case, it's fair to say a couple of things because they've (Aston Villa) publicly said that he might be a player who's leaving.
“So, of course, Jayden is a player that we are talking to. He's a player that we like, we've tried to bring to the club on previous windows and we think he's got qualities to really fit in here.
“So if it's possible to bring him to the club, we'd like to do so.
“I think what's really important in all this is that Jayden is really keen to come to the football club.
“I think it's, of course, been a slightly longer process we would have wanted, but he’s been steadfast within all that. Jayden believes in the project here. He has shown a desire to come here, not just now, but in the summer as well.
“Of course, it's pretty well known that we tried to bring Jayden to the football club in the summer. And again, amongst having the options of quite a lot of well-established Premier League clubs, he expressed his desire was to come here. And it was something that we tried to do.
“In the end it was impossible with the contractual situation with Aston Villa and he went back to his previous club.
“But he's shown a good desire to be here through the last couple of windows.”
“He's a player that we know well. He's a player that we like and we'd like to bring to the football club.”
McKenna went on to explain how it was not a straight forward deal, given the length of contract that was signed in the summer, but that he is confident it is progressing well to a successful conclusion for all involved.
“It's a complicated deal for the football club to do because, of course, he's a young player who's just signed a five-year contract with Aston Villa in the summer. That's not an easy deal for Ipswich Town to do,” he continued.
“Aston Villa, of course, have to get the best deal possible for their club.
“The players' representatives, of course, have to get the best deal and make sure the security is right for the player.
“And for us, it's very important that every deal we do is right for the now, but also helps the progression of the football club in the longer term and also protects the football club in the longer term.
“So, of course, that's a pretty complicated deal to do. I think people are working pretty hard on it. I think there's been some progress.
“If all those things can match up, then he's a player that we'd like to have at the club. It's not quite completed yet, but I think things are progressing pretty well.
“And I say if it can be completed, then it's a player we'd be happy to have.”
Since his summer move back to Villa Park, Philogene has found his game time restricted to just two starts and 11 substitute appearances in the Premier League as well as getting three outings, including one start, in the UEFA Champions League and one start in the Carabao Cup.
Town are looking to make him their second January acquisition, following on from the loan signing of former Norwich City and Everton defender Ben Godfrey from Serie A side Atalanta.