Ipswich Town have started their preparations for life in the Premier League. Alex Jones takes a look through the Blues' squad ahead of the release of the retained list and discusses what might happen in the upcoming transfer window....
Goalkeepers
This one is fairly easy. As it stands, Cieran Slicker is the only senior goalkeeper under contract for the 2024/25 campaign.
First-choice shot-stopper Vaclav Hladky could still leave for free this summer, and he’s reportedly had interest from Scottish giants Celtic in the last few months. However, the 32-year-old revealed that he's been in negotiations with Ipswich and that he’d like to stay at the club.
Christian Walton is in a similar position, but the club can trigger a 12-month extension on his contract, which they’re likely to do. That doesn’t mean he’ll stay at Portman Road, however. He clearly wants to play regular football, which he hasn’t been able to since picking up a plantar fascia injury just under a year ago.
Luton Town were reportedly one of the clubs keen on signing him last summer, but they ended up with Blackburn Rovers’ Thomas Kaminski instead. A departure could help Town financially while also allowing Walton to continue his career elsewhere.
Do Ipswich need another goalkeeper? Yes, it’s unlikely that both Hladky and Walton will remain in Suffolk, and some strong competition for the former could be beneficial, with Slicker remaining as the third choice. Nick Hayes has already departed for National League side Barnet on a permanent deal.
Centre-backs
The Blues are in a pretty strong position here, albeit that there are some early conversations to be had. Luke Woolfenden has another year on his deal, as does George Edmundson, while Cameron Burgess and Axel Tuanzebe both have one-year extension clauses on their deals that expire this summer.
A decision will need to be made on those who spent last season out on loan. Corrie Ndaba has had seven spells away from the club and will turn 25 this year, so perhaps it’s time for him to move on permanently.
Elkan Baggott, on the other hand, might be heading back out on loan again next season – with upper-end League One or lower-end Championship clubs the aim for him. Both of their deals expire at the end of next season.
Do Ipswich need another centre-back? Yes. They’ve got good options at the back, but someone with Premier League experience will be vital in this area. A couple of new additions could push someone out of the door – perhaps George Edmundson, who’s done incredibly well but hasn’t been able to play regular football. Portsmouth, now of the Championship, were linked with a move for him before.
Full-backs
Crucially, Leif Davis is under contract until next summer, and the club have an option to keep him for a further year. Interest in him is inevitable, but barring a colossal bid, it’s unlikely that he’ll leave any time soon.
Harry Clarke’s contract expires in 2026, and like Davis, the club have a one-year option for him too. However, it remains to be seen how long he'll be out for after having surgery on his Achilles.
Town look a little light after that. Brandon Williams has returned to Manchester United while Janoi Donacien’s injury issues mean that he’ll likely be released when his contract expires this summer.
Tuanzebe can play at right-back while Cameron Humphreys can cover at left-back, with the latter under contract until 2026. This has to be the year for him to go out on loan, with regular football the obvious next step in his development.
Do Ipswich need another full-back? Yes, on both sides. It was probably their weakest area last season in terms of depth. Cover for Davis will be absolutely vital, as will one or two new additions on the right to cover for Clarke’s injury. Versatility to cover both positions could be vital here, similar to what Williams offered during his loan spell.
Midfielders
Skipper Sam Morsy is under contract for another year, which was triggered by securing promotion from League One. Midfield partner Massimo Luongo signed a new deal earlier this year, taking him to the end of next season with the option for a further 12 months.
Ahead of them, Conor Chaplin is under contract until 2026 and has often spoken about his love for the club and desire to stay. Jack Taylor’s deal expires in the same year, but his minutes could be reduced next season.
He’ll probably stay at Portman Road, but if they do bring in a few new midfield additions, is there an argument to be made that a top-end Championship loan could work for him? It’d be controversial, but might help his development.
Dom Ball's deal expires this summer and he looks destined for the exit door. He’s been a really strong, versatile option in League One and the Championship, but he’ll want to play regular football.
From there, loan players have come in and out. Lewis Travis has gone back to Blackburn Rovers while Panutche Camara and Idris El Mizouni have returned to Suffolk. The latter two both have one-year options on their deals, which expire this summer, but they’ll likely be sold on. El Mizouni in particular has reportedly got quite a few suitors.
Do Ipswich need a new midfielder? Yes, at least one to account for Travis’ departure. From there, it’s a question of how much depth you want. Morsy and Luongo were almost ever-present last season, but one injury could’ve caused significant problems. That being said, adding too many players could upset the balance of the squad, particularly for someone like Taylor. If nothing else, adding a top-quality midfielder to partner Morsy and compete with Luongo feels sensible.
Wingers
Loanee Omari Hutchinson has gone back to parent club Chelsea. Ipswich will try to get him back, but reported interest from Stuttgart, Ajax and Feyenoord might make it difficult. Reports from Ecuador suggested that Jeremy Sarmiento’s loan spell from Brighton & Hove Albion could be extended for another year if Ipswich were promoted, so we’ll have to wait and see if that materialises.
On the right, Wes Burns is under contract until 2025. On the left, Nathan Broadhead’s deal runs until 2026, while Marcus Harness’ time in Suffolk can be extended until the same year.
There will be question marks as to whether the step up to the Premier League might be too much for the latter, and his desire to play regular football could see him move on.
Kayden Jackson is in a similar position, with his contract expiring this summer. His story has been pretty extraordinary, but if he is to continue at Ipswich, his game time will be severely limited. At this stage of his career, playing every single week is important. He’s certainly the big question mark ahead of the retained list.
Sone Aluko has retired from playing and will be offered the chance to work with the coaching staff from next season.
Do Ipswich need another winger? Yes, particularly on the right. If Sarmiento does return this summer, he offers a strong alternative to Broadhead. Hutchinson would be the preferred choice to compete with Burns on the right, but if he goes elsewhere, Town will need to find someone else. Another versatile option who can play on both flanks would be useful, even if both of last season’s loanees end up staying for the upcoming campaign.
Strikers
George Hirst is under contract until 2027 and Ali Al-Hamadi’s deal runs until 2028. The former will have a big part to play next season while the latter, who’s currently recovering from adductor surgery, could be an option to go out on loan next season. That being said, he’ll be desperate to become the first Iraqi to play in the Premier League.
Kieffer Moore has returned to parent club AFC Bournemouth while Freddie Ladapo and Gassan Ahadme have returned from their respective League One loan spells. If Ahadme’s one-year extension is triggered, both players will be under contract until the end of next season, although it seems likely that they’ll be moved on this summer.
Do Ipswich need another striker? Yes, at least one and probably two, which would allow Al-Hamadi to move out on loan to a Championship club. A strong option to compete with George Hirst is necessary, and a versatile back-up couldn’t hurt either. Having someone like Jackson who can cover out wide and up front could really be important.
Final thoughts
This is the hard part that comes with promotion. Some players on the fringes of the starting lineup have given fans incredible moments. For many, it was hard enough to say goodbye to the likes of Greg Leigh and Kyle Edwards last summer, but with Ipswich in the Premier League, a lot will have to change.
The water level will rise. Those struggling for minutes may look elsewhere while one or two regulars might find that they've got some more competition. It's no secret that Town will have a good budget to work with, and as a result, there will be some big names linked with a move to Portman Road this summer.
There isn't really an area of the squad that categorically doesn't need more depth, so the next few months will be pretty busy. There will certainly be some emotional farewells when the retained list is published, but supporters can be excited by what's to come as well. There's a lot of work to be done, even though Town's stability remains.
Finding a balance between maintaining that stable core and getting a group of players ready to challenge in the top flight will be the big task. All together, it'll probably require seven to nine new additions, with versatile players who can cover two or more positions going right to the top of the wish-list.
TOWN CONTRACTS
* Indicates known 12 month extension option in club's favour
End of loan: Williams (Manchester United), Travis (Blackburn Rovers), Sarmiento (Brighton), Hutchinson (Chelsea), Moore (Bournemouth)
2024: Walton*, Hladky, Donacien, Tuanzebe*, Burgess*, Ball, Camara*, El Mizouni*, Jackson
2025: Edmundson, Woolfenden, Ndaba*, Baggott*, Davis*, Morsy, Luongo*, Burns, Harness*, Ladapo, Ahadme*
2026: Slicker, Clarke*, Taylor, Humphreys, Chaplin, Broadhead
2027: Hirst
2028: Al-Hamadi
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