Coventry City are eyeing a potential £20m move for Ipswich Town midfielder Marcelino Nunez, according to reports. The 26-year-old Chile international has been a standout performer for the Tractor Boys in the Championship, registering three goals and 10 assists in 35 appearances this season. If Ipswich fail to secure promotion, Coventry may move to sign the playmaker.

Transfer Speculation and Contract Details

Nunez joined Ipswich from Norwich City for a reported £10m last summer; the Chile international, who previously made 119 appearances for Norwich across all competitions, has been praised for his creativity and consistency. His current contract with Ipswich runs until the end of the 2028/29 season, though However, if Ipswich are not to the Premier League, Coventry could make a move for the midfielder.

Coventry are believed to be aware of the challenge in acquiring Nunez, as his long-term contract gives Ipswich strong exploit in negotiations — a successful promotion would likely make Nunez a priority to remain at Portman Road, potentially increasing the asking price to £20m. The Chile international has earned 33 caps for his national team but will not be playing at the World Cup, as Chile failed to qualify for the third consecutive time.

Injury Concerns and Promotion Race

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna has confirmed that winger Leif Davis remains a doubt for Tuesday’s central match against Southampton. Davis missed the recent 0-0 draw with West Brom and is currently back in Suffolk for assessment. McKenna said: “He wasn’t on the bus and if you’re close you tend to be on the bus and he’s back in Suffolk. Still a doubt [for Tuesday] but not impossible, so we’ll assess it over the weekend.”

McKenna also reflected on the tight nature of the Championship race, noting that the margins between teams are minimal. He said: “You don’t know whether it’s a good point. I’ll tell you that next Sunday. But it was always going to be tough. I’ve said it many times, it’s a harsh division.”

Other Squad Updates and Recent Form

In addition to Davis’ absence, winger Wes Burns has been sidelined with a calf injury but could return against Charlton on Wednesday, according to McKenna. The manager expressed cautious optimism about his availability and said: “Not impossible, we’ll see how he is over the next few days.”

Ipswich remain second in the Championship standings, level on points with Millwall but holding a game in hand. A win against Charlton would provide a significant boost to their automatic promotion hopes. McKenna emphasized the importance of maintaining physical and mental readiness for the important fixtures ahead, stating: “This might be the third period where we’ve had seven games in 21 days with the postponements. The Championship is like that anyway, but our season has been even more like that.”