Ipswich must complete a summer swoop for Sunderland midfielder Max Power upon the expiry of his contract.

What's the talk?

Max Power's contract at Sunderland expires at the end of the month and he is currently set to become a free agent heading into the upcoming transfer window. Power joined Sunderland from Paul Cook's Wigan in the 2018/19 campaign and has been a regular at the Stadium of Light in recent seasons.

According to the East Anglian Daily Times, Cook would like to reunite with Power at Portman Road next season. Cook wants to bring Power to Ipswich to strengthen his squad and he is looking into a potential deal for the 27-year-old as he enters the final weeks of his contract at Sunderland.

In 2017, Wigan manager Warren Joyce heaped praise on Power. Joyce claimed that the Englishman was a “go-to” player whenever he needed someone to fill in due to his versatility. He told Wigan Today, via The Chronicle:

“Max has been great for us since I’ve been here. He’s been the go-to man for us unfortunately for him - he’s played right-back, right-midfield, off the front man.

"Wherever there’s been a problem, he’s filled in, because he’s shown to me he can do that.

“I remember signing him for Tranmere Rovers as a 12 year old kid, so I’ve known Max a long time. He’s a player I’ve got a very high regard for.”

Cook would be buzzing

Cook would be buzzing if Ipswich can pull off a deal for Power this summer. The £3.9k-per-week ace could be an excellent addition to Ipswich's squad for a number of reasons. Firstly, he is a player Cook already knows well from working together at Wigan earlier in his career. This means that there is a pre-existing relationship between the player and the manager, reducing the time it could take for Power to bed in as he will already be aware of the demands Cook sets his players and the style of play he will want to enforce in pre-season.

Secondly, Power's versatility makes him a valuable option to have at League One level. In the season just gone, Power played in central midfield, centre-back, defensive midfield and right-back for Lee Johnson at Sunderland and performed admirably - averaging a WhoScored rating of 6.74 in 44 appearances. This means that he could fill in across multiple positions for Cook at Ipswich and he has a track record of being reliable in League One.

Finally, Power could be an upgrade on what Cook has at his disposal currently. Power averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.87 in 19 starts as a central midfielder for Sunderland, whilst Andre Dozzell's score of 6.67 was the highest any Ipswich midfielder managed in League One. The Sunderland man also averaged an impressive score of 6.86 in 14 starts at right-back, which is also higher than any Ipswich right-back - five appearances or more - managed.

This suggests that he could be Cook's best option in central midfield and at right-back, so he could help strengthen either of the two key positions for the Blues.

AND in other news, Paul Cook is making a shrewd call as stance on £6k-p/w dud is revealed