Ipswich Town have moved to the front of the queue to sign Burnley midfielder Florentino Luis, with Sky Sports News reporting that a fee of around £16m is being discussed for a permanent deal.
Hull City had appeared closer to landing the 26-year-old on an initial loan, but manager Sergej Jakirović admitted this weekend that his side could not compete once it became clear Florentino's preference was a permanent switch elsewhere.
Florentino only became a permanent Burnley player this summer, with the Clarets triggering an obligation to buy from Benfica for a reported €24m (£20.8m) after his loan spell was made permanent following their relegation to the Championship.
The Portugal-born midfielder made 31 Premier League appearances and provided two assists during that loan, having previously spent time away from Benfica on loan at Monaco and Getafe. He made 113 Liga Portugal appearances for the Lisbon giants across six years, winning two league titles and the Portuguese Super Cup.
Ipswich secured an immediate return to the top flight last season, finishing second in the Championship before Kieran McKenna's surprise departure this summer for personal reasons. New head coach Gary O'Neil, who arrived from Strasbourg, is keen to add further Premier League experience to his squad and is also working on a permanent deal for former loanee Julio Enciso.
In separate business at Portman Road, Ipswich have sent Sam Szmodics back to Derby County on a season-long loan, reuniting the forward with head coach John Eustace, for whom he previously played at Blackburn Rovers.
Szmodics, 30, scored three goals and set up another in 13 Championship appearances during a productive spell at Pride Park in the second half of last season, and the Rams moved swiftly to bring him back for the 2026/27 campaign.
Szmodics joined Ipswich from Blackburn in August 2024 for an initial £9m and scored four Premier League goals during the club's relegation season, but found opportunities harder to come by following their return to the Championship, netting only once before his mid-season exit to Derby in February.
The Republic of Ireland international, who has won 12 caps, has scored 118 goals in more than 400 career appearances across spells with Colchester United, Bristol City, Peterborough United and Blackburn.