Ipswich Town lead Florentino Luis race after Hull City pull out

Ipswich Town appear to have moved into pole position to sign Burnley midfielder Florentino Luis after Hull City admitted defeat in the race for the 26-year-old.

The Portugal-born midfielder had looked set to join Hull City earlier in the week, but the transfer has taken a dramatic turn, with Ipswich now emerging as the favourites to secure his signature.

Hull manager Sergej Jakirović confirmed that Florentino is expected to join another club, with a permanent transfer ruling his side out of contention.

"I think that he will not come to us. I think that he will go to another club, though I don't know which one. His move, I believe, will be a permanent transfer, so we don't have a chance with that because we want to loan him from Burnley."

Jakirović explained that Hull's interest was based on a loan agreement, while the player's preferred destination now involves a permanent transfer.

"This is his decision and his family, which I respect. We have some options, so we will activate our second option now, so I hope we will finish it."

Fulham had also been linked with a late move for Florentino, but sources close to the London club reportedly indicate he is not expected to move to Craven Cottage, leaving Ipswich in a strong position to complete the deal.

Florentino joined Burnley on loan from Benfica last summer before the move became permanent following a mandatory purchase clause worth €24 million (£20.6 million).

The defensive midfielder made 25 starts and six substitute appearances during the 2025/26 campaign after arriving from the Portuguese giants, where he won two Primeira Liga titles and gained Champions League experience.

Ipswich's interest comes at a time when Gary O'Neil is short of central midfield options. Azor Matusiwa and Jack Taylor are both recovering from end-of-season operations, while academy players Fin Barbrook and Charlie Compton have featured during pre-season to help fill the gap.

Chieo Ogbene and Sindre Walle Egeli have also been used in unfamiliar midfield roles during the club's summer preparations.

Florentino is understood to be one of two transfer moves currently advancing at Portman Road.

Former loanee Julio Enciso is reportedly interested in returning to Ipswich on a permanent basis after working with O'Neil during the second half of last season at Strasbourg.

Negotiations over a permanent deal for the Paraguay international are said to be continuing.

Ipswich will now look to finalise a permanent agreement for Florentino after moving ahead of their rivals. The club are also expected to continue negotiations for Julio Enciso as Gary O'Neil looks to strengthen his squad before the transfer window closes.