With the season now over, Kieran McKenna has some decisions to make over out of contract players. STUART WATSON takes a look at whose deals are up.
THE RULES
Clubs must make their intentions known to out of contract players by the third Saturday of May - that's this coming weekend.
This does not mean all contracts have to be signed by this date. It simply means clubs must indicate who they are and aren't offering new terms to. Negotiations can then take as long as is required.
Clubs involved in the play-offs following that date have until four days after their last match.
The EFL will then publish the collated list sometime before June 10.
LEAGUE ONE LISTS SO FAR
At the time of writing, 13 clubs in League One have published their lists: Plymouth, Derby, Portsmouth, Wycombe, Charlton, Lincoln, Fleetwood, Exeter, Cheltenham, Port Vale, Oxford, Cambridge and Morecambe.
WHAT MCKENNA’S SAID
Ahead of the season finale at Fleetwood, Blues boss Kieran McKenna was asked about his plans for soon-to-be out of contract players.
He said: “Of course you speak to people in private right through the season to encourage them and let them know how we feel about them and where they are in the squad.
“But there’s been no definite conversations about contracts and that won’t take place until after the game on Sunday, which I think is only right.”
MORE: Andy Warren ranks all 101 of Town's league goals from 22/23
TOWN CONTRACTS LIST
*Known 12-month extension option.
LOANS EXPIRED: John-Jules, Hirst.
2023: Coleman, Keogh, Vincent-Young*, Luongo, Aluko, Penney*.
2024: Walton*, Hayes, Hladky, Donacien, Burgess*, Leigh, Edwards*, Camara*, Morsy, Evans, Harper*, El Mizouni*, Chaplin, Pigott, Jackson, Ball.
2025: Edmundson, Ndaba*, Burns, Woolfenden, Harness*, Ladapo, Baggott*, Ahadme*.
2026: Clarke*, Humphreys*, Broadhead.
JOEL COLEMAN
Was signed on a short-term contract last November following an injury to young third-choice goalkeeper Nick Hayes.
The 27-year-old - who previously spent time at Oldham, Huddersfield, Fleetwood and Rochdale - then saw his deal extended to the end of the season in January.
MORE: The tale of Town's four years in League One
"The third goalkeeper is a very important role," said McKenna.
"They are one of your main energisers in training. They're not just pushing the goalkeepers, but also pushing the forwards by being hard to score against.
"Joel has come in and kept the standards high for the whole training group."
VERDICT: May find himself surplus to requirements following Hayes' return to fitness.
RICHARD KEOGH
Experienced centre-back saw his career go full circle last summer, returning to the club he started out at as a boy.
The 36-year-old may have been limited to just four league starts, sitting behind Luke Woolfenden, Cameron Burgess and George Edmundson in the pecking order, but McKenna was quick to highlight his role in a promotion-winning campaign.
"In my opinion he has had a massive impact on the clean sheet and defensive record that we have because of the way the other centre-halves can learn habits and traits from him," enthused the Blues boss.
VERDICT: I can't see the former Republic of Ireland international getting another playing deal at Portman Road, but I can see him being offered a coaching role. His knowledge of Championship football - a division he played in more than 450 times - could be invaluable.
MATT PENNEY
Left-back was the fourth of Paul Cook's 19 summer signings in the 2021 summer transfer window.
He made 18 league starts in his debut campaign at Portman Road, fading from the picture after McKenna brought Dominic Thompson in on loan.
The subsequent arrivals of Leif Davis and Greg Leigh saw him loaned out for the entirety of 2022/23. He was a fans' favourite at Scottish Premier League side Motherwell in the first half of this season, but then found game-time limited at Charlton.
VERDICT: Town will almost certainly release a player they picked up on a free. The 25-year-old will need to find himself a new permanent home.
KANE VINCENT-YOUNG
Flying full-back produced some scintillating displays soon after his £500k switch from Colchester United in 2019.
Injury set-back after injury set-back followed though and the 27-year-old reaches the end of his contract having made 28 fragmented League One starts over the course of four seasons.
MORE: Watch Tommy Miller go through his Town career in pictures
Harry Clarke's arrival in January, coupled with Janoi Donacien's contract being extended, means the writing looks on the wall.
VERDICT: Dynamic, versatile and a positive character keen to keep improving - Vincent-Young ticks so many of the boxes McKenna looks for.
He was one of the squad's most impressive performers last pre-season, but sadly wasn't able to prove he is robust enough and, with no room for sentiment, the Ipswich project moved on at a pace.
Will leave the club with everyone's best wishes.
MASSIMO LUONGO
Australian midfielder had to prove his fitness during a Christmas trial having not played a single minute of action for Middlesbrough during the first half of the season.
Upon signing a short-term deal with the Blues, he said: "If I’m used for one minute to try and see out a result then it’s for one minute."
His impact proved to be far, far greater than that. Luongo started the final 13 games of Town's promotion charge (W11 D2), forging a fine partnership with Sam Morsy and chipping in with two goals.
VERDICT: Offering a new deal to the 30-year-old looks, on the face of it, to be a no-brainer given the impact he's had and the fact he's proven at Championship level.
The thing is, that would leave McKenna with four central midfielders with decent second-tier experience - Morsy, Luongo, Lee Evans and Dominic Ball - plus highly-rated youngster Cameron Humphreys, the fit-again Panutche Camara and returning loanees Idris El Mizouni and Rekeem Harper.
Eight players for two positions is too many. That group would need a trim.
MORE: Stuart Watson's verdict on whether loan duo will return
Will McKenna be thinking about not blocking the pathways of Humphreys and/or El Mizouni next season? They can always be loaned out.
Does the Blues boss have other midfield targets in mind? Peterborough's Jack Taylor is a known long-term target.
With all of the above in mind, Luongo's situation is a tough one to call. If you pushed me to predict, I'd say something will be offered.
SONE ALUKO
Silky attacker made 18 starts in his debut season for the Blues, but was restricted to just four in the campaign just gone.
His nimble footwork and eye for a pass make him a joy to watch (the FA Cup replay at Burnley was a reminder of that), but you could argue that he hasn't provided enough assists and goals alongside that.
The 34-year-old watched a lot of Town's games alongside the analysis team during the latter stages of the campaign, with McKenna having labelled the former Premier League man an important 'mentor' figure in the group.
VERDICT: In the same boat as Keogh. A playing contract looks highly unlikely, but some sort of coaching role is a possibility. Whether that appeals to him just yet remains to be seen.
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