Brazilian striker Emersonn becomes Ipswich's record transfer signing ahead of Premier League return

Ipswich (England), Jul 8 (AP) Premier League club Ipswich made Brazilian forward Emersonn a record transfer signing Wednesday for its return to the top tier after promotion. Ipswich said the 21-year-old Emersonn signed a five-year contract without stating the fee paid to French club Toulouse. The transfer fee was reported to be 24 million pounds ($32 million). Ipswich starts the Premier League season hosting Sunderland on Aug. 22, then goes to Manchester United and hosts Liverpool. It is a first major signing for new Ipswich coach Gary O'Neil, who saw his then-club Strasbourg beaten by Emersonn's late winning goal in May in a Ligue 1 game. The former Brazil youth international scored six league goals for Toulouse after joining in September from Turkish club Goztepe. Emersonn's transfer value moving to world soccer's richest league rose eight-fold during the 10 months he was in France. Ipswich ended a 22-year absence from the Premier League when promoted in 2024, then was immediately relegated back to the second-tier Championship. Ipswich was promoted again finishing runner-up in May to title-winning Coventry before coach Kieran McKenna left the club. (AP) AM AM AM