Ipswich Town have secured the signature of Argentina midfielder Exequiel Palacios from Bayer Leverkusen, making him the first World Cup winner to represent the Premier League club.

The 27-year-old departed the Bundesliga side for an undisclosed fee and has committed to a four-year deal at Portman Road, becoming Ipswich's 11th addition of the summer transfer window.

Palacios arrives carrying an exceptional international pedigree — he was a member of the Argentina squad that lifted the World Cup in 2022, reached the final at FIFA World Cup 2026, and claimed the Copa America on two separate occasions with his country.

Palacios on joining Ipswich

The midfielder spoke enthusiastically about his new chapter in English football. "This is a club with great ambition and I am excited to play football in England and compete against some of the best clubs and players in the world," Palacios said.

At FIFA World Cup 2026, he featured in Argentina's 3-1 group-stage victory over Jordan, the only appearance he made in the tournament.

O'Neil eyes experienced reinforcements

Ipswich manager Gary O'Neil underlined the importance of bringing in a player of Palacios's calibre. "He is a player who has had real success at the top level of the game, winning the biggest prize of all in the World Cup, as well as major trophies at club level," O'Neil said. "That experience will be vital for us as we continue to work to improve the squad this summer."

A decorated club career

Palacios came through the academy at River Plate, where he made his senior debut in 2015, winning both the Copa Libertadores in 2018 and the Copa Argentina twice before moving to Germany in 2020.

During six years at the BayArena under current Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso, Palacios collected a historic first-ever Bundesliga title for Leverkusen in 2023-24, as well as the DFB Pokal and the German Super Cup. He departs after 186 appearances and 15 goals for the club.

Ipswich's ambitious summer

Ipswich have now invested more than £150 million since their return to the Premier League and are also pursuing a loan deal to bring Tammy Abraham from Aston Villa to Suffolk.

The club made a confident start to their top-flight comeback, defeating Sunderland 2-1 at Portman Road, and have also advanced to the third round of the Carabao Cup by eliminating League One side Leicester City.