Ipswich have signed Omari Hutchinson from Chelsea after striking a deal with Chelsea worth £22.5million, talkSPORT understands.
We reported on Friday that personal terms had been agreed, with just a medical left to be completed.
The 20-year-old was shipped off on loan to Portman Road last summer, where he proved instrumental in the Tractor Boys winning promotion to the Premier League.
Now, the 20-year-old will return to Ipswich on a permanent basis for their return to the top flight after penning a five-year deal.
“We’re so pleased to bring Omari back on a permanent basis,” Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna said.
“Omari is someone we all enjoyed working with last season and the staff, his teammates and supporters all saw how he grew and developed over the course of the year, which is testament to the hard work he put in.
“The impact he had on the team throughout the season, especially in the latter part, was evidence of that and he, like so many of his teammates, played a significant part in that success for the Club.
“We think Omari is a fantastic player and person to have at the Club for the long-term future. He has a hunger to improve and show that he can compete and thrive in the Premier League.”
Hutchinson, who swapped Arsenal‘s academy for Chelsea’s in 2022, chipped in with ten goals and six assists in 44 Championship matches last season.
And Ipswich have spent the summer trying to turn the winger’s temporary stay into a permanent switch, with the Suffolk outfit succeeding in talks with the Blues.
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The deal will not include a buy-back clause, though Chelsea would benefit from a future sell-on clause.
Arsenal could also financially benefit from the deal following his time with the North London side.
Hutchinson’s deal has shattered Ipswich’s transfer record, which had stood for 23 years.
Their current record stands at £4.75m having lured Matteo Sereni away from Sampdoria in 2001.
Ipswich fans have been vocal in their desire for the club to sign Hutchinson after securing lucrative investment from an American firm in March.
Since moving to Stamford Bridge two years ago, Hutchinson has been limited to just two appearances for Chelsea in all competitions.
But he showed he’s more than ready for first-team football during his loan at Ipswich, where he helped fire them to the top-flight for the first time since 2002.
Hutchinson recently branded his loan at Ipswich as ‘perfect’ when speaking to Chelsea’a media team, as he said: “It was a great season and a great year.
“From the minute I stepped into the building, all the boys were on it. They gave me a lot of confidence when I was training that I would take into my matches.
“We showed relentlessness and ruthlessness, we stayed composed and we got to the Premier League.
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“The culture was about being humble, being willing to work for the team and the badge because it’s a community club.
“All the fans love the club and you have to represent the badge really well and show humility.
“I’d probably say it was the perfect loan move – you couldn’t really get much better, could you? Getting promotion was the ideal thing.
“My intentions were to go into the team, get as many minutes and as much experience as possible from my team-mates and the manager – and that ended up being the case.
“I just wanted to help out the team as much as possible.”