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Ipswich Town have made significant progress in their summer recruitment plans by securing a deal for Dutch goalkeeper Kayne van Oevelen. The newly promoted Premier League side have reached an agreement with both the player and his club Volendam to bring the highly regarded shot-stopper to Portman Road.

Van Oevelen commits to long-term deal in England

Ipswich acted swiftly to finalise their latest signing, with Van Oevelen reportedly agreeing full personal terms to join the club. According to Dutch outlet De Telegraaf, the 22-year-old is set to sign a long-term contract that will tie him to the Tractor Boys until the summer of 2031, marking a major commitment to his new club.

The transition to English football has moved quickly for the former Volendam goalkeeper. Following a breakthrough in negotiations on Saturday, Van Oevelen is expected to undergo his medical examination in England on Sunday. If everything proceeds smoothly, he will join his new teammates almost immediately.

Record transfer fee agreed by Volendam

The financial side of the deal underlines its importance for both clubs. On Friday, Ipswich and Volendam agreed on a transfer fee of €4 million, which stands as the highest base fee Volendam have ever received for a single player in their history.

Although Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven’s previous move to VfL Wolfsburg remains Volendam’s most profitable transfer overall—eventually reaching €8.5 million due to sell-on clauses—the initial fee for Van Oevelen exceeds the €3.5 million starting price that Wolfsburg had paid for Van de Ven.

Valencia drop out of the transfer chase

Van Oevelen’s switch to England follows a long-running transfer saga that also involved Valencia. The Spanish club had reportedly agreed personal terms with the goalkeeper earlier this summer on a five-year deal, but ultimately failed to match Volendam’s valuation. This allowed Ipswich to step in and finalise the move. Dutch side Twente had also expressed interest in the young goalkeeper earlier in the window.

With personal terms in place and the medical scheduled, Van Oevelen is expected to travel to England soon to complete the formalities. Ipswich are eager to have their new signing available before their pre-season training camp in La Manga, Spain, which begins next week.

Strong individual season despite team relegation

Van Oevelen was one of Volendam’s standout performers last season, recording the highest save percentage and the most saves per 90 minutes in the Eredivisie. Despite his individual brilliance, the team managed only three clean sheets in 32 appearances and ended the campaign in the relegation play-off position. Volendam were eventually relegated after losing to Willem II on penalties, confirming their drop to the second division.

In total, Van Oevelen made 64 official appearances for Volendam since graduating from their academy, keeping 13 clean sheets during his time at the club. At the time of his departure, he was under contract until the summer of 2028.