According to The Telegraph, Ipswich Town is interested in signing Middlesbrough custodian Seny Dieng for the upcoming season to compete with Vaclav Hladky for the top spot.
The Tractor Boys do not yet know which tier they will play in next season, but they are hoping to be promoted to the Premier League for the first time since 2002. They are now at the top of the Championship table and are in a good position to achieve so, although the top three are only separated by two points.
If Ipswich had made it to the Premier League, they would have achieved back-to-back promotions. Manager Kieran McKenna has received a lot of attention as a result. With six games remaining, the manager is confident that if the team wins, they will participate in the top tier next season. McKenna will want to take each game as it comes and not allow the club’s prospective future interfere with its current situation.
Having said that, there have already been some rumours of recruitment for next season.Middlesbrough’s Seny Dieng, who only joined the club this season, has emerged as an early transfer target.
Dieng has had a strong season at the Riverside Stadium, holding the club’s top spot for the majority of the time since signing. A thigh ailment sidelined him from the end of December until the beginning of March, but the Senegalese international is finally back in goal.
Middlesbrough have struggled at times this season, or at least have not realised their lofty expectations from the previous season, but Dieng has had a solid year. Keeping nine clean sheets in 29 matches and conceding 38 goals highlights the ‘keeper’s quality and builds on previous performances with Queens Park Rangers.
Having only signed from QPR in the summer of 2023, the ‘keeper is under contract until 2027, and a high amount can be expected to secure his services. It would be a positive transfer, however, because he appears to be ready for a higher level of play and has international experience.
Newcastle United of the Premier League are also apparently interested in the 29-year-old, and a bidding battle for the custodian might break out this summer. That being said, it is still early days, and if Ipswich does not earn promotion this season, they may decide not to pursue.
Writer’s perspective
Dieng will not want to be a backup in the Championship, therefore this deal appears to be heavily influenced by whether or not Ipswich is promoted. Hladky has been outstanding this season, but at 33 years old, he may soon be past his prime.
Dieng is currently in his prime years as a custodian and would easily outperform Hladky for the starting spot if he signed. More rumours about Dieng’s future will emerge in due course, but the fact that he is already being linked with moves to the Premier League with Newcastle and possible Championship champions Ipswich highlights his brilliance.
McKenna does, however, need to focus on the next six games rather than the future, since the summer recruitment would be quite different if they make it to the Premier League rather than the Championship.
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