Nottingham Forest have confirmed the signing of Omari Hutchinson from Ipswich Town for a fee reported to be £37.5m.
Despite interest from Brentford, it is Forest who were willing to stump up the cash Ipswich wanted to let the 22-year-old go, a club record fee for the Suffolk side.
Hutchinson has signed a five-year deal with the Midlands side, just a year after joining Ipswich on a permanent deal from Chelsea. The London club will receive around £4m of the sale due to a 25 per cent sell-on clause.
He said: “I’m really excited to be here and can’t wait to get started. I’ve played at the City Ground a few times and it’s always felt like a hostile atmosphere, so I’m looking forward to playing here with the fans behind us.
“I’m going to give it my all and I’m looking forward to the challenge as it’s a new chapter for me, but I feel ready.”
Hutchinson first arrived at Portman Road on loan in 2023, playing a pivotal role in the club’s promotion to the Premier League but struggled in the top division.
He managed just three goals and two assists in the 2024-25 campaign as Ipswich were relegated back down to the second tier.
That triggered a clause in his deal which meant he was available for £35m and although Brentford submitted an offer of that amount, it was in instalments and did not meet the requirements. That clause subsequently expired and it appears the west London club were not willing to raise their offer.
Hutchinson began his footballing career in the youth academy of Chelsea but was released, prompting a move across London to Chelsea.
In 2015, he signed with Arsenal but returned to Chelsea in 2022, making his first team debut in a 1-0 defeat against Manchester City in January 2023.
Later that year, he moved to Ipswich to help Kieran McKenna’s side return to the Premier League for the first time since 2002.
Forest Chief Football Officer Ross Wilson, said: “Omari is a really exciting addition to the squad. He’s coming off a fantastic summer, winning the U21 European Championship alongside Elliot, and arrives here full of confidence.
“He joins an already talented group of players and adds another layer of quality and energy to our attacking options. We’re looking forward to seeing him thrive in a Forest shirt.”
Forest also reportedly close to sealing the transfer of Manchester City youngster James McAtee, an England U21 colleague of Hutchinson.
Pep Guardiola stated on Friday that he had hoped to keep the 22-year-old but did not have space for him in the squad.
“I’d love to have Macca with me, but we have too many players, and he wanted more minutes. He believes going to another place, he’ll have it. And I understand completely.
“Macca had the potential to be with us, yes or yes, but his wish of securing more minutes was too much of a factor to get him to stay.”