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The past 12 months have certainly been an enjoyable one for those of an Ipswich Town persuasion, but an exciting 2023 was closed off and 2024 started with two disappointing draws in which their transfer priorities were put under the spotlight.
Blues boss Kieran McKenna was forced into making a handful of changes for the visit of QPR as Sam Morsy (suspension), George Hirst (hamstring), Leif Davis (calf), Harry Clarke (Achilles), Wes Burns (illness) and Nathan Broadhead (illness) all missed out. Seven changes led to Town’s squad producing a frustrated performance.
Marcus Harness and Conor Chaplin all had attempts saved in the opening ten minutes whilst Freddie Ladapo – making his first start since Town’s 3-1 League Cup defeat to Fulham – also had a good opportunity to open the scoring but turned into trouble. For all their huff and puff, however, Town never really looked like finding the back of the net.
It was a similar story for the Blues against Stoke City.
Town dominated the control of the ball (64 per cent) and managed 13 shots, just two of which were on-target. Even when the Potters were reduced to ten men just after the hour-mark, a make-shift attacking line struggled to create any clear goal-scoring opportunities.
Hirst’s injury – described as “significant” and likely to see him sidelined until until the back end of the season – has been a blow to Town and leaves McKenna with just Ladapo and Kayden Jackson as the only remaining senior strikers after Dane Scarlett returned to parent club Tottenham Hotspur.
It is an area of the squad Town are keen to improve heading into January but the winter window has proven to be more of a seller’s market in recent years.
Ladapo, who turns 31 in February, scored 17 times in Town’s promotion-winning campaign. Since Hirst’s Town move was made permanent, however, he has scored just twice in 16 appearances, including 14 from the bench.
[Late point for Ipswich Town against Leicester City shows how easily mood can change in football]
Before his start against QPR, Ladapo played just 45 minutes of football since the 3-2 win over Swansea City. A lack of involvement against either Norwich City or Leeds United, and only a three-minute cameo against Leicester City, perhaps shows his position in the Town pecking order.
The former Rotherham United striker might be the most likely in that department to depart Portman Road, but the Blues will almost certainly look to secure a new arrival to coincide with any potential departure. Jay Stansfield, currently on loan at Birmingham City from Fulham, is one player Town are said to be keeping an eye on.
Stansfield has netted seven Championship goals whilst at St Andrews this season, including in the 2-2 draw with Ipswich back in November. The talented forward, who was first reported to be a Town target by the East Anglian Daily Times, is understood to have a tight window in which Fulham can recall him.
Sources close to the situation at Birmingham City, as reiterated recently by Wayne Rooney, suggest there have been only brief conversations between Blues and the Premier League outfit.
“There’s a few positions we would like to add in and the forward position is one of them,” McKenna said ahead of the draw with QPR. “At this stage in the season every team wants to add goals and goalscorers in the guises that they come in.
“We did that last year and want to do that again in this window but have said that we have goals in the building. We are [among]the top scorers in the league and share goals around the pitch and score from different phases of the game. We will look to do that regardless of who plays.”
Quizzed on whether the club’s American owners were prepared to pay large amounts of money on any potential signings, the Blues boss responded:
“We have had initial meetings on that. We will have a budget available for January that fits within our financial fair play.
“As a newly promoted non-parachute payment team the current restrictions of FFP means that you cannot go and spend huge figures on players without selling players first – that’s the reality of the position we are in.
“The owners are very supportive and will look to support the group as much as possible and if we find a suitable player we think can improve us in the long-term and this season we know they will be there to support us.
“We also know the restrictions of FFP are very prevalent and that limits what teams in our position can do.”
Championship clubs can register up to 25 senior players at any one time and changes to that roster can be made during transfer windows. Ipswich are currently one shy of the 25-man limit following the departure of Scarlett, meaning there is some room for movement but more space might be needed to make significant improvements to the squad.
Lee Evans (knee) has been out injured for some time and continues to work through his rehab. There is the possibility he is taken off the squad list to free up an additional space.
Town fans can take a sigh of relief after skipper Sam Morsy was not included in the Egypt squad for the upcoming African Cup of Nations and Massimo Luongo will also not be travelling to be involved with Australia after he announced his international retirement.
Cameron Burgess is the only confirmed departure during the early parts of 2024 due to international duties. Burgess, involved with Australia, could also be joined by fellow central defender Baggott who is likely to be involved in some capacity with Indonesia.
Should Baggott also be given a call-up, the pair will miss Sunderland (H) and Leicester (A). Their availability for Rotherham (H), Preston North End (A) and West Brom (H) could also be at risk should their countries progress in the tournament.
A central defender might be a useful addition to provide cover during Burgess’ absence. The Blues already have Luke Woolfenden and Axel Tuanzebe as steadfast options, whilst there is also George Edmundson and even Dominic Ball who can play as a central defender.
Edmundson, however, has been reported as being on the radar of League One front-runners Portsmouth. An Ipswich Town source believes it to currently be unlikely that he will be made available for sale given Baggott and Burgess’ likely international involvements.
The former Derby County man’s last Championship appearance for Town was in October against Plymouth Argyle prior to his starting role at Stoke City. With Burgess away with Australia and Leif Davis temporarily unavailable due to an injury, Edmundson might find himself with the opportunity of playing more minutes.
Town have done well at keeping transfer rumours under wraps since McKenna and Mark Ashton [CEO] arrived at Portman Road. What is certain, however, is that the club’s well-spoken-about data dashboard will be identifying plenty of prospective signings for their recruitment team to scout and consider.
One reported target for Town is Leeds United defender Charlie Cresswell. The 21-year-old is, according to the Sunday Mirror, said to be considering his future at Elland Road having become an outcast under Daniel Farke.
Centre-half Cresswell, who routinely played alongside Town full-back Leif Davis during their time in the Yorkshire outfit’s Under-21 side, is said to have a number of clubs aiming for his signature on a loan or permanent manner – including Town, Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Southampton and Rangers.
Other recruitment sources have mentioned Manchester United’s Amad Diallo, out-of-favour West Ham man Danny Ings and Blackburn Rovers forward Sam Gallagher as possible Town considerations for elsewhere on the pitch – although there is not currently believed to be any concrete interest from the Blues in these individuals.
At an academy level, National League South outfit Chelmsford City boss Robbie Simpson is keen to extend Finley Barbrook’s loan spell beyond January but no agreement has been met yet. Finley’s brother, Harry, has returned to Ipswich Town after a brief spell with Braintree Town.
Away from incomings and outgoings, there could also be some movement on retaining existing Town players. Midfielder Luongo is one of several whose contract is up for renewal this coming summer without the option of a further year already embedded.
The Aussie is part of a group of ten players including Hladky, Chaplin, Morsy, Jackson, and others who are currently working on their coaching badges.
The Australian international, who currently lives with his wife and children on the London and Kent border, recently revealed his Town future had been “mentioned” but not yet finalised.
Goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky has been one of the star players in Town’s impressive start to the Championship season but his contract is also up for renewal in the summer.
The Czech shot-stopper, who has previously been on the radar of Premier League and European outfits, is reportedly wanted by Celtic this January but a source close to the player says he is very happy at Portman Road and hopes to sign a new deal.
“One priority going into the window is keeping the group together if you’re doing well and that’s set in stone for us,” McKenna said. “Anything we bring in, of course, we’ve lost an important player, but other than that, anything that we bring in will hopefully add to what’s already here.
“All these [contract]discussions are not at the forefront of my mind. They’ll be for once we get through this period and be also partly for Mark [Ashton, CEO] and the club to discuss with representatives.”
