Championship top scorer Szmodics seals Ipswich move

Ipswich have confirmed the arrival of last year’s Championship top scorer Sammie Szmodics from Blackburn Rovers for a reported £10m fee.

Szmodics, who scored 33 goals in 48 appearances in all competitions for Rovers last season, put pen to paper on a four-year deal with the Tractor Boys.

The 28-year-old continued his scoring form into the 2024-25 campaign, netting three times in his first two games in the league and Carabao Cup.

Last season, only Adam Armstrong (37) registered more goals and assists in the Championship than Szmodics (31), while he also created 49 chances, more than any of his Blackburn team-mates.

Szmodics struck 27 times in the league last year, outperforming his expected goals (xG) by 4.64 from his 145 shots across the 46-game campaign.

His arrival further bolsters Kieran McKenna’s front-line, which scored 92 goals last season, a total only bettered by Stockport County and Manchester City (both 96) in England’s top four tiers.

Szmodics becomes the seventh signing for Ipswich after the arrivals of Omari Hutchinson, Jacob Greaves, Liam Delap, Arijanet Muric, Conor Townsend and Ben Johnson.

Our new number 23.

— IPSWICH TOWN (@IpswichTown) August 16, 2024

“I am delighted to be here as an Ipswich Town player,” Szmodics told Ipswich’s club website.

“There’s always been interest since I was a kid, but it just felt right this time with the challenge of the Premier League.

“After speaking to a couple of the lads, including Lewis Travis who was here last season, they just pushed me and said that I need to come and work under this manager, which is something I can’t wait to do.

“It’s every boy’s dream to play in the Premier League and I’ve always said to my friends, family and agents that I’ll get to the top one day.

“There’s nothing more I want than to score at Portman Road for Ipswich Town. I am over the moon to be here and looking forward to the season ahead.”

Szmodics was registered in time to be available for their opening game of the Premier League season against Liverpool at Portman Road on Saturday.