Left to right: Keinan Davis, Angel Gomes and Mads Bidstrup have all moved abroad after playing in England
Ipswich Town have strengthened their foreign recruitment in recent years and could look to use international markets in the January transfer window. Alex Jones picks out eight potential targets who are currently playing abroad.
Lassine Sinayoko [left] played against Ipswich in pre-season (Image: Ross Halls)
Lassine Sinayoko
Ipswich should be somewhat familiar with Sinayoko, having played against him midway through 2025. That’s because he’s on the books at Auxerre, who played Town in pre-season. The striker started that friendly ahead of his fifth full season at the Stade de l’Abbe-Deschamps.
Sinayoko has spent his entire senior career with them after joining their academy back in 2017 and he’s continuing his development well. Having stepped up from Ligue 2 to Ligue 1, he has become an instrumental part of their attacking line under Baptiste Malherbe, notching six goals and two assists in 16 matches.
It should be stressed that three of his goals have come from the penalty spot, but it shouldn’t undermine his ability. He’s 6’1, powerful and fast, but can also hold up the ball, bring others into play and operate out wide, which would tick key boxes in a Kieran McKenna system.
Would Auxerre sell him? The 26-year-old is coming into the final months of his contract at the club and would be able to leave for free in the summer if not tied down. However, eyes will likely be on him after he notched three goals in five appearances for Mali at AFCON, so there could be fierce competition.
Keinan Davis spent time on loan at Nottingham Forest and Watford before joining Udinese (Image: PA)
Davis will likely be one of the more recognisable names on this list, having come through the ranks at Aston Villa after spells at boyhood club Stevenage and Biggleswade Town. He subsequently spent time out on loan at both Nottingham Forest and Watford, helping the former win promotion to the Premier League.
Now at Udinese, he has become a regular in Serie A, with six goals and three assists to his name in 19 matches. He also brings Championship experience, having found the back of the net 14 times at three different clubs.
Like Sinayoko, there’s more to him than that. He’s a powerhouse of a striker and a real handful for defenders. That translated well into English football and we’re now starting to see it in Italy. He’s 6’3, but he still has a good turn of pace to beat a man and work the ball into dangerous areas.
Would a move for him be feasible? Perhaps not. Udinese won’t be looking to sell the 27-year-old, so he wouldn’t be cheap, and would likely hinge on him wanting to return to England and have another crack at playing in the Premier League down the line.
The final striker on this list, could Ansah be the answer for Town?
The six-cap Germany Under-21 international spent time at numerous different clubs at academy level before settling on Paderborn, spending three years with them – first in the fourth and fifth tiers with their second team, then with the senior side in 2. Bundesliga.
A move to Union Berlin followed last summer for an initial fee reported to be €4 million (just under £3.5m) and he has started well in the capital, registering five goals and one assist in the German top flight. He’s certainly keen to take aim from range, with two of his strikes coming from outside the box.
He stands at 6’4 and is impressive in the air, but he’s also really quick, occasionally playing on the left of a front three. A proper athlete, the 21-year-old is still developing his finishing, but he’s shown that he’s more than capable.
It might take quite a bit of money to convince Union Berlin to cash in.
Kodai Sano
Moving onto midfielders, Sano is an option that certainly stands out.
The 22-year-old made the jump to leave his native Japan in 2023, joining Eredivisie outfit NEC Nijmegen. He immediately became a regular and is now well into his third full season in the Netherlands.
Make no mistake, he wouldn’t be a back-up for Azor Matusiwa – he’d look to compete with Jack Taylor and Jens Cajuste. Although he boasts strong defensive stats, he likes being the metronome in midfield, taking plenty of touches and knitting play together.
Sano isn’t afraid to shoot, although mostly from distance. Most of his 10 goals have come from inside the box, and he does like to occupy space in the final third. At his age, he has good experience and plenty of time to grow into a top midfielder.
You’d also like to think that it wouldn’t break the bank to sign him.
Mads Bidstrup joined RB Salzburg after leaving Brentford (Image: PA)
Bidstrup has had a taste for English football. Having come through the ranks at RB Leipzig, the Dane joined Brentford in 2020, although he featured just 14 times for them in all competitions.
The midfielder had two loan spells at Nordsjaelland before leaving West London, making the move to RB Salzburg in 2023.
He’s been exceptional since making the switch to Austria, which has seen him named captain at his club despite being just 24. Having missed out on the league title to Sturm Graz in the last two seasons, they are desperate to lift it once again and currently sit three points clear at the summit.
With that in mind, it could be a hard sell to bring him to Suffolk, but there’s a lot to like. Bidstrup is defensively solid but also touch-heavy in a dominant team. He’d be able to play alongside Matusiwa and cover him when needed.
Of course, he knows what it takes to play in the Premier League too, albeit that he didn’t have much game time with the Bees.
Joe Bell represents New Zealand despite being born in Bristol (Image: PA)
Bell is probably the biggest unknown on this list. Born in Bristol, he emigrated to New Zealand as a child and has dual citizenship as a result. He began playing football at age eight and has since returned to Europe after a brief spell in the United States.
The 26-year-old initially joined Norwegian club Viking before making the move to Danish outfit Brondby, but he returned to Viking after just one season, where he still plays. In fact, he’s arguably become their best player and one of the stand-out midfielders in the division.
Bell is an all-rounder in the centre of the park, with three goals and four assists to his name in 29 Eliteserien matches in 2025, helping his side secure the league title ahead of Bodo/Glimt.
Given the standard of the league, it would be a risk for a promotion-chasing Championship club to sign him as a starter, but I think he has a high ceiling and would be low-cost.
Angel Gomes hasn’t been a regular starter since joining Marseille last summer (Image: PA)
McKenna has often stressed that Ipswich will only look to sign a player if they can clearly strengthen their squad. Gomes would undoubtedly tick that box.
In fact, the 25-year-old worked with the Town boss during his time at Manchester United, so there’s a pre-existing relationship. After leaving Old Trafford, he ended up in France with Lille after a loan at Portuguese side Boavista.
His performances – which included a campaign with 10 assists in 2023/24 – earned him four England caps and a free transfer to Ligue 1 rivals Marseille, where minutes have been limited.
He’s played just 884 minutes across 13 appearances and has been an unused sub in three of his side’s last four matches. That could open the door for a loan exit in the second half of 2025/26.
There’s no guarantee that Marseille would listen to offers, and Ipswich could find their way down the queue, but it could work out with a view to a permanent move. He’ll surely be someone on McKenna’s radar and could play both as no.10 and in a deeper role.
Xavier Mbuyamba played for Chelsea at academy level before returning to the Netherlands (Image: PA)
Luke Woolfenden left Ipswich on deadline day. The Blues made an approach for Uruguay international Sebastian Caceres, but they couldn’t get a deal done. That saw Elkan Baggott kept at Portman Road to ensure there was enough cover at centre-back, but it only seems fair to let him out on loan this month.
With that in mind, Ipswich could look for reinforcements. Mbuyamba could be a viable option for them, given that he’s spent time in England while at Chelsea’s academy, having joined them after a year at FC Barcelona’s La Masia.
The Dutchman didn’t progress at Stamford Bridge, which saw him leave for boyhood club MVV Maastricht, then joining Volendam in 2022. He now finds himself back in the Eredivisie after helping his side win promotion last season.
Mbuyamba is only 24 and stands at 6’5. He’s a huge threat from set pieces, notching 11 goals in just over three seasons since his move to the Kras Stadion. He’s comfortable on the ball and tough to match in the air.
He’d want minutes at Portman Road, but I think he’d be happy to bide his time in the squad and develop under McKenna, who I believe could turn him into a top defender.
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