President confirms Ipswich Town bid for Copa America star has been rejected

Add as preferred source on Google

It did not take Club America president Santiago Banos long to issue a response following Ipswich Town’s opening bid for Uruguayan centre-back Sebastian Cacerers.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich submitted a ‘formal offer’ for Caceres on Friday.

Capped 21 times by Uruguay, the Montevideo-born centre-half appears to have emerged as the Tractor Boys’ leading defensive target heading into the final few days of the summer transfer window.

Leicester City have sold Kasey McAteer to their Championship rivals, while EFL Analysis can confirm that Ipswich are closing in on Sindre Walle Egeli – the highly-rated FC Nordsjaelland forward – for a further £17 million.

McAteer and Walle Egeli will reinforce Ipswich Town’s attack following the £37 million departure of Omari Hutchinson to Nottingham Forest.

But, with reinforcements also targeted at the other end of the pitch, talks are ongoing with Liga MX outfit Club America for the signature of Sebastian Caceres.

Talks the club’s president – Santiago Banos – opened up on ahead of Ipswich’s trip to Preston North End.

Club America president Santiago Banos says Ipswich Town’s Sebastian Caceres bid was rejected

Speaking to ESPN, Banos admitted that Club America will not stand in Caceres’ way if he makes it clear that he wants to pursue a fresh start at Portman Road.

“The doors are open at the club for players who want to leave. No one is indispensable,” the president says. “Any player who isn’t happy has the door open.

“We’re not going to give him away because it’s not about weakening us. But as long as there’s an agreement between the club and the buying club, and it’s mutually agreeable, we’ll hold negotiations.”

Banos did go on to confirm, however, that Ipswich’s bid fell short of Club America’s asking price.

“An offer came in for Caceres, but not within the parameters we’d expect for a player who’s been here for a long time,” he adds.

“Until the [transfer windows] close in different parts of the world, we can’t guarantee any more arrivals or departures.”

Caceres has spent the last five years in Mexico after rising through the ranks at hometown outfit Liverpool Montevideo.

A 26-year-old, right-sided centre-half, Caceres has picked up five trophies in Club America colours and was also part of the Uruguay side which finished third in last summer’s Club America under the legendary Marcelo Bielsa.

Kieran McKenna wants to keep Luke Woolfenden at Portman Road

Should a deal eventually be agreed, Caceres could replace Luke Woolfenden in East Anglia.

Woolfenden’s Ipswich future is in doubt amid links with Stoke City and Coventry. McKenna is keen to retain the 26-year-old local lad, however, even if Woolfenden was left out of the starting XI for those draws against Birmingham and Southampton.

“It’s clear that Luke is someone we’d like to keep,” McKenna tells East Anglian Daily Times. “[He’s] an important player for the club and the team, a lot of experience with the group and has worked with us for a long time, and is a very good player.

“He’s someone that we’d like to keep, but the situations are never always simple. There’s different parties involved and different wishes, and it’s been a challenging summer in that respect, there’s no doubt about it.

“Probably the most challenging ones are the players who have been with us the longest, because they’re players we have a great affinity for and the supporters have a great affinity for – they’ve been part of something really special here.

“But also we’ve had different situations this summer – Cameron Burgess, Nathan Broadhead, Samy Morsy – players who have had incredible offers, life-changing offers from a financial point of view that they’ve deserved off what they’ve done in the last few years here.

“In those situations it’s always really difficult.”