Ipswich Town have signed goalkeeper, Kjell Scherpen from Royal Union Saint-Gilloise for an undisclosed transfer fee.
Scherpen’s move marks his return to England just one year after he left Brighton & Hove Albion for Royal Union Saint Gilloise (USG), having made a single appearance for the Seagulls in January 2022 as they beat West Bromwich Albion 2-1 after extra time in the third round of the FA Cup.
Scherpen has signed a four-year contract at Portman Road until June 2030 and the 26-year-old is now excited to be back in English football and show his talent, having kept 21 clean sheets in 43 appearances last season for USG in a campaign which saw them win the Belgian Cup.
“This is a very proud moment for me.
“This is a great opportunity for me to show my qualities and test myself in the best league in the world, so I’m really looking forward to making memories together.
“I’ve had great conversations and everything here has been really positive, so it’s made me very excited to join Ipswich Town.
“I’m looking forward to meeting my teammates and can’t wait to meet the fans and get started.”
Manager, Gary O’Neil added: “Kjell is a strong addition to our goalkeeping unit and we’re delighted to have him with us.
“He has experienced playing at the top level in different countries, as well as in European competitions, and is excited to now have the opportunity to test himself in the Premier League.”
Scherpen began his career at FC Emmen with whom he won promotion to Eredivisie in his first senior season and managed four clean sheets in 36 total appearances across two seasons, before he moved to Ajax in 2019 where he only managed four first-team appearances.
His time at Ajax also saw him help them win the 2020-21 Eredivisie and KNVB Cup titles on top of 2019 Johan Cruyff Shield.
He then moved to Brighton but failed to dislodge Robert Sanchez and Jason Steele aside from his sole appearance when he started in their FA Cup victory at West Brom, before he was loaned to Oostende for the remainder of that season then Vitesse in 2022-23 campaign.
Scherpen subsequently spent 2023-24 & 24-25 seasons on loan at Austria’s Sturm Graz where he kept 17 clean sheets in 67 appearances, as they achieved consecutive Austrian Bundesliga titles plus Austrian Cup in his first season there, before he sealed a move to USG last summer.