Ipswich Town transfer news: Tractor Boys 'join' Lyon in race for £10m Portuguese playmaker

Ipswich Town have reportedly joined the race for Hearts playmaker Claudio Braga ahead of the new season.

The Tractors Boys are preparing to commence their pre-season fixtures as they get ready for a return to the Premier League, with the East Anglian outfit finishing second in the Championship last term.

Gary O'Neil's side have already completed some standout transfer business, sealing the signature of Brazilian youngster Emersonn after his impressive campaign for Toulouse in Ligue 1.

After narrowly missing out on the Scottish Premiership title last season, Hearts are now under the tutelage of Belgian head coach Wouter Vrancken, who has admitted that star player Braga could depart this summer.

The Jambos are gearing up for an important end to July, when they will face off against Austrian outfit Sturm Graz in the second round of Champions League qualification at Merkur Arena and Tynecastle.

Ipswich join race for Hearts hero Braga?

According to Portuguese outlet Record, Braga is 'increasingly likely' to depart the Scottish Premiership challengers this summer, with Ipswich Town recently joining the hunt for the playmaker's talents.

As well as the newly-promoted Tractor Boys, it is believed that Turkish Super Lig side Trabzonspor are keen on the 26-year-old, who won the Premiership's Player of the Year award for the 2025-26 campaign.

Hearts are unsurprisingly reluctant to lose arguably their best player, with the Jambos only willing to consider offers for Braga totalling between £8m and £10m, as per Scottish publication The Daily Record.

There is also supposedly interest in the former Aalesund man from French giants Lyon, who are in contention to qualify for the League Phase of the Champions League via the playoff round.

Despite intense speculation surrounding his future, Braga is said to be fully focused on fulfilling his dream of playing in the Champions League proper at Tynecastle during the 2026-27 season.

All we hear is... exit rumours

Plucked from the relative obscurity of the Norwegian Elitserien last summer, Braga became an instant hit at Hearts as they battled Celtic for the Premiership title, establishing himself as the division's top player.

The 26-year-old scored 14 goals and provided three assists across 38 top-flight appearances for the Jambos as they narrowly missed out on their first Scottish crown since 1960.

Considering his brilliance over the past 12 months, it is no surprise that teams from some of Europe's biggest leagues have sat up and taken notice of Braga, who is theoretically entering the peak years of his nomadic career.