Ipswich Town have added a World Cup winner to their ranks, completing the signing of Exequiel Palacios from Bayer Leverkusen. The Argentina midfielder becomes the first player with a World Cup winner’s medal to join the club.
Palacios, 27, moves for an undisclosed fee and has put pen to paper on a four-year deal at Portman Road, making him Ipswich’s 11th signing of the transfer window as the club continues to reshape its squad following promotion.
A statement addition
The midfielder’s honours list is substantial. He started for Argentina in their 3-1 win over World Cup debutants Jordan in the group stage of this summer’s tournament — his only appearance at the finals — and was part of the squad that won the 2022 World Cup and reached this year’s final. He has also won the Copa America twice with his country.
“This is a club with great ambition and I am excited to play football in England and compete against some of the best clubs and players in the world,” Palacios said.
Ipswich manager Gary O’Neil pointed to that pedigree as central to the appeal of the deal. “He is a player who has had real success at the top level of the game, winning the biggest prize of all in the World Cup, as well as major trophies at club level,” O’Neil said. “That experience will be vital for us as we continue to work to improve the squad this summer.”
From River Plate to the Bundesliga
Palacios came through at his boyhood club River Plate, making his senior debut in 2015 and going on to win the Copa Libertadores in 2018 as well as two Copa Argentina titles before leaving South America.
He joined Leverkusen in 2020 and spent six years in Germany, a spell that included the club’s first-ever Bundesliga title in 2023-24, a season in which he made 24 appearances. Under Xabi Alonso — now in charge at Chelsea — he also won the DFB Pokal and the German Super Cup. In total, Palacios made 186 appearances for Leverkusen and scored 15 goals before his exit.
Ipswich’s summer spending
The move is the latest in a heavy summer of recruitment at Portman Road, with the club having spent more than £150m since securing their return to the Premier League. Ipswich are also progressing a separate deal to bring in Tammy Abraham on loan from Aston Villa.
On the pitch, O’Neil’s side have made a solid start back in the top flight, beating Sunderland 2-1 at Portman Road, and have also advanced to the third round of the Carabao Cup after eliminating League One’s Leicester City.
