The transfer window shuts at 11pm next Friday. Stuart Watson looks at what could happen at Ipswich Town over the next week.
BUSINESS SO FAR
It’s been a solid, if not spectacular transfer window for newly-promoted Ipswich Town so far considering the spending power of the club’s American owners.
Kieran McKenna has kept the core of his promotion-winning team together, trimmed around the edges and added a little bit to the squad depth.
IN (5): George Hirst (Leicester, £1.5m), Jack Taylor (Peterborough, £1.5m), Omari Hutchinson (Chelsea, loan), Brandon Williams (Manchester United, loan), Cieran Slicker (Man City, undisc).
OUT (12): Greg Leigh (Oxford Utd, undisc), Joel Coleman (Bolton, free), Kane Vincent-Young (Wycombe, free), Matt Penney (released), Richard Keogh (Wycombe, free), Rekeem Harper (contract terminated, signed for Burton), Joe Pigott (contract terminated, signed for Leyton Orient), Gassan Ahadme (Cambridge, loan), Corrie Ndaba (Kilmarnock, loan), Idris El Mizouni (Leyton Orient, loan), Panutche Camara (Charlton, loan), Tyreece John-Jules (Arsenal loan expired).
WHAT’S BEEN SAID
The arrival of Brandon Williams yesterday ended a 34-day wait for a signing.
On July 28, speaking during Town’s involvement in the Innsbruck Cup over in Austria, chief executive Mark Ashton said: “I actually don’t think the transfer window’s really come alight in the EFL as of yet. I think people are still waiting to see what some of the relegated and parachute clubs do.
“I think there’ll be two or three more at least coming in, but they have to be the right ones. Kieran (McKenna) won’t just take anyone, we’re very selective.
“We’ve got to really add quality now to the starting XI. Which positions? Without giving too much away, right across the board."
Last Thursday, speaking ahead of his side’s trip to QPR, McKenna said: “We had 24 outfielders training this week and I would trust any of them to play this weekend.
“That doesn't change the fact that to be really competitive in this league we feel like we want to, and will need to, add quality to the group. It has to be the right players at the right price that will fit into the group and improve what we have though. That pool isn't so big.
“I expect there to be some movement both ways over the next couple of weeks.”
SQUAD RULES
A reminder that Championship clubs can register a maximum of 25 senior players once the window shuts.
That number (unlike in League One) includes goalkeepers and loanees of any age. Club-owned players under the age of 21 at the start of the calendar year do not have to be named.
Town currently have 25 players that meet the selection criteria: Walton, Hladky, Hayes; Clarke, Donacien, Woolfenden, Burgess, Edmundson; Davis, Williams; Morsy, Luongo, Taylor, Evans, Ball; Burns, Jackson; Chaplin, Hutchinson, Aluko; Broadhead, Harness, Edwards; Hirst, Ladapo.
POSSIBLE EXITS
Unlike a lot of other Championship clubs, there is no ‘will he, won’t he go?’ saga surrounding any key men. Town have tied star players to long contracts, got them to fully buy into an ambitious project and there is no pressure to raise funds.
If new faces are to arrive, however, some fringe players will have to be cut to stay within squad size limits. There are also Financial Fair Play rules to be mindful of too. Additionally – and this is often overlooked - it’s important to simply keep training numbers manageable and make sure everyone feels they have a chance to play.
Keeper Nick Hayes had looked set for a loan departure following the arrival of Cieran Slicker, but may now be kept around for use in training while Christian Walton is sidelined. He won’t be registered in the 25-man league squad though.
We know that winger Kyle Edwards has been told he can leave in pursuit of more regular game time. Whether that’s a permanent move or a loan deal remains to be seen.
Homegrown duo Elkan Baggott and Cameron Humphreys should be loaned out if Town can find them the right clubs for their development, though if they stay they wouldn’t count as ‘senior’ players.
Take Hayes and Edwards out the picture and Town have two squad slots to play with. That should be enough.
I do, however, wonder if a central midfielder be allowed to leave given the current number of options there. Dominic Ball’s versatility means he’s likely to be kept around and that could put Lee Evans in the danger zone. The Welshman has plenty of Championship experience and a fine range of passing, but there have been injury set-backs and it looks like three players are ahead of him in the current pecking order. Selling him would free up some wages to play with if the Blues are getting tight to FFP restrictions.
CENTRE-BACK REQUIRED?
At the start of this week I’d have said that signing a centre-back had to be top priority. The arrival of Williams makes that situation a little less clear though.
The 22-year-old, though primarily a full-back, can also play in the heart of the backline. So will McKenna feel he’s got enough depth in defence now?
For me, I’d still like to see a specialist centre-back come in.
Yes, Luke Woolfeden and Cameron Burgess are playing well. But what happens if one of them gets injured or suspended?
George Edmundson has the potential to be a good Championship player, but his ongoing ankle problems are a slight concern. Beyond him you’re then looking at Williams, Janoi Donacien or Dominic Ball playing out of their primary positions.
Harry Clarke’s nagging Achilles problem and Donacien’s recent groin strain have to be taken into account here too.
USA international Auston Trusty, Player of the Year at Birmingham last season, was a target, but he’s moved from Arsenal to Sheffield United.
Axel Tuanzebe, released by Manchester United, has been linked with a reunion with McKenna. The 25-year-old free agent is reportedly on trial with Luton at the moment.
Or might Town bring in someone more experienced to act as a leader/mentor off the field while also being able to step into the team when required (as Richard Keogh did last season). Northern Ireland stalwart Craig Cathcart, linked to the Blues early in July, remains a free agent.
SOME COMPETITION FOR BURNS?
Electric right-winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, so impressive at Charlton last season, was a top target for Town heading into this transfer window.
With that in mind we can assume that McKenna was looking to provide some serious competition for Wes Burns – a player who has spent the previous seven seasons playing in League One.
As I understand it, the Blues ended their pursuit of Rak-Sakyi when it became clear that Crystal Palace weren’t going to make a decision on his future until very late in the day.
Rak-Sakyi came on for Palace in Monday night’s 1-0 home loss to Arsenal and Eagles boss Roy Hodgson has said he wants to keep the youngster around, so it was probably just as well Ipswich didn’t put all their eggs in this basket.
So how do we assess the depth of Town’s forward unit (by that I mean wingers and deep-lying forwards)? Burns, Conor Chaplin and Nathan Broadhead are currently backed up by Omari Hutchinson, Kayden Jackson, Sone Aluko and Marcus Harness. Is that enough?
Hutchinson, at 19, is very raw and likely to be dipped in and out this season. Aluko, at 34, was always likely to play more of a role off the field than on it.
The rapid and hard-working Kayden Jackson is a nice specialist option for specific situations. The same can be said of Harness too. I do think, however, that McKenna will be looking to add someone who can push for a regular starting spot.
Aston Villa youngster Jaden Philogene, who performed well on the right side for Cardiff last season, has been linked. Reports suggest he would cost in the region of £5m.
ANOTHER CENTRAL STRIKER?
George Hirst, Freddie Ladapo and Kayden Jackson are the three options for the single central striker role in the team at present. Is that enough?
Hirst was superb in the second half of last season and Town put a lot of time and effort into signing him permanently. He’s off the mark as a Championship player and McKenna feels he can develop into a top player. I’m excited to see that development unfold.
Ladapo has scored goals at Championship level before in a struggling Rotherham side. He’s more of a link striker. I know he hasn’t featured much this season so far, but don’t forget what he’s done in a Town shirt so far or write off his potential contribution this season just yet.
Jackson, as shown in the Stoke game recently, provides a different set of qualities up top.
I understand the calls for Town to add in this department, and I’m convinced they will do something big over the next couple of windows, but at this very juncture I can’t see it happening. There are plenty of Championship clubs with decent spending power vying for a small pool of proven strikers at present and most of them can probably offer better guarantees of being the main man.
Persuading someone to come in as a squad striker is obviously tricky (McKenna has outlined how he speaks honestly in these conversations). Adding Tyreece John-Jules, who was such a popular figure in the dressing room last season when on loan from Arsenal, could be an option that wouldn’t bust the budget or upset morale. His injury record is obviously a concern though. Derby are reportedly keen on him.
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