While Ipswich Town are preparing for life in the Championship, EADT/Ipswich Star Town reporter Alex Jones has plenty of experience covering the second tier. He picks out eight players that Kieran McKenna will be particularly wary of next season as the Blues look to build on promotion from League One....
Zian Flemming – Millwall
Zian Flemming is undoubtedly one of the best all-rounders in the Championship.
The Dutchman, nicknamed 'the Bermondsey Bergkamp', moved to The Den from Eredivisie side Fortuna Sittard last season, hitting the ground running after a minor injury that he suffered just weeks after his club-record transfer.
He adapted to English football incredibly well, combining his physicality with his creativity and his knack for scoring goals to become Millwall’s star man in a season where they narrowly missed out on a top-six finish.
His 15 goals and three assists have certainly caught the eye, with newly-promoted Premier League outfit Burnley reportedly keen to lure him to Turf Moor this summer.
Gustavo Hamer – Coventry City
With Viktor Gyokeres' multi-million pound move to Portuguese giants Sporting CP confirmed earlier this month, Gustavo Hamer has been left out of the spotlight.
The Brazilian-born midfielder represented the Netherlands at youth level, playing in the Eredivisie for Feyenoord and PEC Zwolle between 2016 and 2020, but his best years have come for the Sky Blues.
At just 5’7, he is a surprisingly physical and aggressive midfielder, picking up 28 yellow cards and three red cards in just three campaigns at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
That shouldn’t take away from his skill on the pitch, however. The 26-year-old scored nine goals and provided 10 assists last season, hitting a purple patch in April and May that helped Mark Robins’ men reach the play-off final.
Matt Grimes – Swansea City
Because of Swansea City underperforming in recent years, Matt Grimes’ performances have gone under the radar. The reality is that he fits the ‘Rolls Royce’ description for a deep-lying midfielder, showcasing commendable defensive skills while also remaining composed in tackles and contributing in the final third with seven assists last season.
There will be new challenges next season as the Jacks look likely to move away from their possession-based style under new boss Michael Duff, who joined the club from Barnsley last month. As captain, he will be a key figure in that transition and will be expected to maintain his levels. Doing so could be vital for Swansea, seeing as he has the skillset of a Premier League player.
Whether any top-flight clubs come sniffing between now and the end of the transfer window remains to be seen, however.
Nathan Tella – Southampton
Nathan Tella was one of the top players in the Championship last season, scoring 17 goals and providing five assists for Burnley on loan from Southampton. However, the Saints have since been relegated from the Premier League, meaning that the 24-year-old could face another campaign in the second tier.
While Vincent Kompany is reportedly still keen to secure a permanent move for the winger, Southampton will be desperate to keep him as they look to copy the Clarets by making an immediate return to the top flight. His finishing, dribbling and energy are all key traits, but it’s his pace that really gives opposition full-backs nightmares. He can be a real handful at his best.
Russell Martin is certainly the type of manager that could get the best out of Tella, so expect him to be one of the best players in the league if remains at St. Mary’s.
Jack Clarke – Sunderland
When Jack Clarke joined Tottenham Hotspur for a fee in the region of £10 million in 2019, most fans expected him to go on and play in the Premier League and in Europe.
However, he is yet to feature in either, having signed for Sunderland on a permanent deal in 2022 after underwhelming loan spells at Leeds United, QPR and Stoke City.
The 22-year-old’s fortunes have improved since moving to the Stadium of Light. His versatility is a huge strength, playing anywhere down the left flank or through the middle. He isn’t a lightning-fast, mercurial winger like Tella, instead boasting a unique skillset that complimented fellow attackers Amad Traore and Patrick Roberts as the Black Cats snuck into the top six on the final day of last season.
Clarke’s movement and dribbling is similar to that of Jack Grealish, as well as his incredibly short socks. It makes him a difficult player to mark and someone that Premier League clubs will be keeping an eye on, with Burnley and Crystal Palace linked.
Freddie Woodman – Preston North End
Freddie Woodman joined Newcastle United at the age of 16 and waited patiently for a chance to feature in the first team, but the goalkeeper ultimately departed St. James’ Park after six loan spells and just one competitive appearance for the Magpies.
Preston North End rushed in to acquire his services last summer, adding one of the best goalkeepers in the Championship to their ranks.
The 26-year-old helped his side keep clean sheets in each of their first seven league games of last season, with Woodman registering 17 in total across 46 games.
A defence is only ever as strong as its goalkeeper, and while Ryan Lowe’s side slipped to some embarrassing defeats in the latter stages of the campaign, their goalkeeper always kept his head high.
Chuba Akpom – Middlesbrough
Despite finishing as the top scorer in the Championship last season, Chuba Akpom looks likely to remain at Middlesbrough as they aim to go one step further in securing promotion to the Premier League. This is terrible news for the rest of the division.
The 27-year-old has seen his career revitalised under manager Michael Carrick, who deployed him in a deeper role behind Cameron Archer last season. He often overlapped the Aston Villa loanee when in possession, making Boro a clinical side on the counter and allowing him to score 28 goals in just 38 games.
Ipswich, like everyone else in the league, will be well aware of his quality, but stopping him will be a much harder task.
Joe Rankin-Costello – Blackburn Rovers
Centre-back Dominic Hyam was voted as Blackburn Rovers’ Player of the Season for 2022/23, but Joe Rankin-Costello finished as a close second despite featuring in just 24 Championship games.
The versatile wide man had options to leave Ewood Park in January, but he ultimately worked his way into the starting lineup and kept his place with a string of exceptional performances in the latter stages of the campaign.
The 23-year-old penned a new four-year deal at the start of this week and will look to secure his place at right-back for the upcoming campaign. His return of two goals and three assists is far from notable, but the way he pushes high up the pitch adds an extra threat in the final third.
One of his biggest strengths is his motivation. Rankin-Costello saw his chance in the team and took it. If he can start next season the way he finished the last one, he will certainly be one of the players to watch in the Championship.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here