Ipswich Town transfer news: McKenna on January signings

Massimo Luongo was Town's first January addition (Image: Ross Halls)

Massimo Luongo: Signed on January 5

The veteran midfielder was the first capture of the window, Town moving quickly to add depth to their engine room.

The 30-year-old signed on a free transfer until the end of the season, having left Middlesbrough at the end of his contract.

READ MORE: Stuart Watson's January window verdict

Australian international Luongo spent time at Town on loan in 2012 and most recently enjoyed three seasons with Sheffield Wednesday, four at QPR and two with Swindon Town. 

He went to two World Cups as part of the Australian squad - 2014 and 2018.

He said: "I want to be in a team that’s doing well and I think that this is a good opportunity here.

"I’m delighted to get the deal done and now I’m focused on helping the team get promotion."

McKenna said: "Massimo is an accomplished midfielder with an abundance of experiences in club and international football.

"He is a versatile and intelligent player who strengthens our options for the second half of the season.

"His experience and professionalism will also be an important addition to our dressing room."

George Hirst will challenge Freddie Ladapo for the starting striker role (Image: Ross Halls)

George Hirst: Signed on Janaury 8

The striker signing which everyone said Town needed - perhaps apart from Freddie Ladapo - arrived early too, inking a loan deal from Leicester until the end of the campaign.

The 23-year-old cut short his loan at Blackburn to head to Suffolk, having notched 13 goals after Christmas for Portsmouth in League One last season.

He said: "I’m delighted to be here.

"I have heard great things about the manager as well, and I couldn’t wait to get here and have a chance to work with him myself. I have had good and honest conversations with him.

READ MORE: Ex-Town players who moved in January

"I’m here to help and I want to be involved in a promotion push. The team has done well so far this season and I want to keep that going and give us a little bit of a push.

"It’s going to be great when I get out on the Portman Road pitch and hopefully I can be part of a team that the supporters can be proud of as I know they always turn up in their numbers."

McKenna said: "He's a player, and I think it's well-documented, that we've liked for a while. 

"I think his profile really fits us and all aspects really. He's young but with some experience and good pedigree of coming from a big club.

"Still very much in the development stage, I think he's got a lot of developing still to do.

"Even at 23, I think he's still physically developing and from a mental point of view, he's still finding himself and finding his confidence and understanding what he can do.

"He fits our style of play really well. He's obviously got height and presence and good movement in the box, but he's also really good at running on the last line, and that's quite unusual for a big striker to enjoy running behind and being on the last line as much as he does.

"So, he's a good profile for us in all aspects and, of course, it's a four or five-month loan at the moment, but he's a player we wanted to work with and he fits the bill really well.”

Nathan Broadhead was a £1.5m capture from Everton (Image: Steve Waller)

Nathan Broadhead: Signed on January 9

Town's early business was capped by the £1.5m addition of the exciting attacker, who agreed a three-and-a-half year deal to leave Premier League Everton.

He spent the first half of this season on loan with Wigan Athletic, scoring five goals in 22 appearances, having netted 13 times last season while helping Sunderland win promotion to the Championship. 

READ MORE: League One's big January moves

The 24-year-old said: "I want to help this team get promoted and score goals in the process.

"Looking at it from the outside, it’s clear that Kieran McKenna has the team playing some really good football, and that’s something that made me want to come here. 

"Under him the team is going places and I will work hard to help."

McKenna added: "He really fits the profile of what we want to bring to the club and where we want to go. 

"He’s a young, talented player physically and technically. He’s very gifted and fits into our playing style very well. 

"He’s also at a stage of his career where he feels like it’s time to find a permanent home for his football. 

"He’s come to a progressive team and a progressive club. We want to play a certain style of football and will give him opportunities to showcase what he can do.” 

Harry Clarke was a popular addition (Image: Ross Halls)

Harry Clarke: Signed on January 19

After signing Broadhead - and thus covering all the immediate needs - the Blues waited a whole ten days before adding utility defender Clarke.

The 21-year-old arrived for another seven-figure fee, this time from Arsenal - make it rain, Gamechanger - signing a three-and-a-half year-deal.

It's a homecoming for Clarke, a product of the Town academy, whose brother George plays for Felixstowe & Walton United.

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Clarke, who has selected squad number 34 - a nod to his grandfather Terry Clarke, who was born in 1934 and was on the books with Town in the 1950s, said: "I’m home and it feels good.

"The style of play is something I really like, and I want to be a part of it.

"The conversations with the manager have been great and he solidified my decision to come back.

"I can’t wait to step out of the tunnel at Portman Road, it will be an amazing feeling."

McKenna added: "Harry brings a lot of the qualities that we want in the team now and for the future.

"I think he’s a really good fit for where we want to go. Of course, he has links and history with the club and the area which is a bonus as well.

"He’s coming in fit and he’s been playing. We want him to be involved in the immediate future.

"We’ve brought four really good players in the building now which gives us good depth and numbers in all the positions we want.”