Kjell Scherpen joins Ipswich Town in €10m-plus deal
Kjell Scherpen is set to join Premier League side Ipswich Town on a four-year deal after the club agreed a transfer of at least €10 million with Union Saint-Gilloise. The 26-year-old Dutch goalkeeper will complete a medical in England in the coming days before signing through mid-2030.
Key Takeaways
- Kjell Scherpen is moving from Union Saint-Gilloise to Ipswich Town for a base fee of €10 million, with up to €3 million more in bonuses.
- He is expected to sign a four-year contract running to mid-2030 once he passes his medical.
- Ipswich, freshly promoted back to the Premier League, views him as a potential first-choice goalkeeper.
- The Tractor Boys already signed fellow Dutch keeper Kayne van Oevelen earlier this month.
According to AD.nl, Ipswich approached Union earlier this month and closed the fee after a week of hard talks. Bonuses could push the package toward €13 million.
Scherpen was left out of Union’s friendly against Lille while the move progressed. For recovery-minded readers tracking elite athletes under peak load, see our Longevity & Biohacking hub.
How much will Ipswich Town pay for Kjell Scherpen?
The clubs settled on a guaranteed €10 million fee. Performance-related add-ons can raise that by another €3 million, taking the potential total to about €13 million.
That figure sits in the “ruim tien miljoen euro” range reported across Dutch coverage of the deal. NOS also relayed the AD reporting that a medical in England and a four-year contract are next if all goes to plan.
Why does the Kjell Scherpen move matter for Ipswich?
Ipswich has just returned to the Premier League and is rebuilding the goalkeeping department. Scherpen is being lined up as a potential number one, not a fringe backup.
His path matters for that brief: after leaving Ajax for Brighton five years ago, a first-team breakthrough never arrived. Loan spells followed, including a strong two-year stint at Sturm Graz, before Union bought him. Champions League minutes with the Belgian side sharpened his European résumé—and helped draw Ipswich’s interest.
When will Kjell Scherpen complete the transfer?
Personal terms are already aligned through mid-2030. The remaining step is the medical over the coming days; if he clears it, the four-year signature follows and his Premier League return becomes official.
Ipswich’s earlier capture of Kayne van Oevelen from FC Volendam shows a longer-term Dutch presence between the posts. Scherpen, at 26, arrives as the more immediate candidate to start.
For Union, the exit ends a chapter with a proven starter. For Ipswich, it is a statement bet on experience and upside as they prepare for another Premier League campaign.