Already this summer, 11 players have departed Ipswich Town’s first-team squad. Stuart Watson takes a look at who else might join them.
DEPARTED SO FAR
Dominic Ball, Kayden Jackson, Panutche Camara and Nick Hayes were all released at the end of their contracts. Jackson has signed for newly-promoted Championship side Derby County, while keeper Hayes has joined National League club Barnet.
Sone Aluko retired and has taken up a role in Kieran McKenna’s coaching staff judging by early pre-season pictures, while Janoi Donacien is training with the club in an attempt to get fit for someone else after his contract expired.
Omari Hutchinson, Kieffer Moore, Jeremy Sarmiento, Lewis Travis and Brandon Williams all saw their loans expire. Hutchinson has returned in a club-record £18m deal from Chelsea, while Williams is now a free agent after being released by Manchester United.
Gassan Ahadme yesterday joined League One side Charlton Athletic in a £1m deal.
CIERAN SLICKER
The 21-year-old joined the Blues from Manchester City last summer for a nominal fee and acted as third choice keeper behind Vaclav Hladky and Christian Walton, making two appearances in the League Cup.
While recently away on Scotland U21 duty, he said: "Now definitely is the time for me to go and play. I want to show people I can do it week-in and week-out. We’ve had a lot of discussions with the manager (Kieran McKenna) and goalkeeping coach (Rene Gilmartin) and everyone is on the same page with it. Now we are looking for options to see what is the best platform to help me kick on. That’s the plan."
Scottish trio Kilmarnock, Ross County and Partick Thistle are all reportedly interested in what you would imagine would be a loan.
Ipswich are looking to bring in veteran keeper David Martin as a player-coach to fill this void. The 38-year-old spent most of his career at MK Dons and most recently was at Southend.
CORRIE NDABA
Left-footed, ball-playing centre-backs are a rare breed, but Ndaba has never quite been able to force his way into the first team fold at Ipswich Town.
Since graduating from the Playford Road academy, the 24-year-old Dubliner has had loan spells at Hemel Hempstead, Chelmsford, Ayr, Salford, Burton, Fleetwood and, most recently, Kilmarnock. The latter, having just finished fourth in the SPL to put themselves in Europa League qualifying, are now keen to sign him permanently.
“He's probably got to get himself sorted out at Ipswich but we feel there's a deal to be done,” said Killie boss Derek McInnes earlier this week.
"We've got a very important game (against Club Brugge on July 25) and a very important season coming up so if we have to move on we will. We would like Corrie but ultimately Corrie might have other options.”
Ndaba is contracted at Ipswich until 2025, but the club do hold an option to extend that by a year. Town will be looking for a fee.
ELKAN BAGGOTT
Indonesian international has had four loan spells away now – at King’s Lynn, Gillingham, Cheltenham and Bristol Rovers.
The 6ft 4ins centre-back impressed at the latter in the second half of last season and the League One club are keen to have him back.
"He’s been a credit to himself and to his parent club in the time he’s been with us," said Gas boss Matt Taylor, speaking in late April.
“Anyone that performs like that you always want to keep as a manager. We will have those conversations further down the line.”
Another who is contracted at Ipswich until 2025, but with the club holding an option to extend that by a year.
Given he’s still only 21, Town may look for another loan and see where all parties are at in a year’s time.
GEORGE EDMUNDSON
When Cameron Burgess was away for the Asian Cup with Australia at the start of 2024, Edmundson stepped into the side and was arguably Town’s best player for a spell. There were other specific moments in the season when McKenna called upon him to add a bit more athleticism to the back line too (including the crucial win at Coventry in April).
Ultimately, however, the 26-year-old found himself behind Luke Woolfenden and Burgess in the pecking order and could now be about to face increased competition.
The Blues are pushing hard to sign Hull City’s Jacob Greaves in a multi-million pound deal. The recent addition of right-back Ben Johnson means that Axel Tuanzebe may become part of the central defensive unit again too.
Edmundson, who Town paid Rangers £750k for in 2021, is now in the final year of his contract. There is no evidence of a one-year option either.
At this stage of his career, he needs to play regularly. Ipswich won’t want to fill up too many of their spots in a 25-man squad with defenders either. Far from guaranteed, but definitely falls in the ‘potential exit’ category.
IDRIS EL MIZOUNI
French-born midfielder has earned plenty of plaudits during successive season-long loan spells at Leyton Orient.
The O’s have been priced out of a permanent move after he helped them win the League Two title and subsequently finish 11th in League One. Oxford United, newly-promoted to the Championship, and Barnsley are believed to be vying for his siganture.
Town recently took up their 12-month extension option in the one-cap Tunisian international’s contract to protect him as an asset. A fee of around £250-500k is likely to be sought for the 23-year-old academy graduate.
He’ll depart having made 16 starts and 10 sub appearances for the Blues’ first team.
CAMERON HUMPHREYS
The talented Ipswich-born midfielder has been kept at the club over the last few years to provide squad depth and to develop under Kieran McKenna’s watchful eye.
Is this the window when the 20-year-old finally goes out on loan to gain regular first team experience? I think so. McKenna says it would have happened in January had Jack Taylor not picked up a quad injury and some cover been acquired at left-back.
Town will be very careful to make sure they find the right fit in terms of likely game time, playing style and manager.
MARCUS HARNESS
Versatile attacker has played an understated key role for Town during back-to-back promotions. He produced six goals from 21 starts and 19 sub appearances in 22/23, then followed it up with four goals from seven starts and 27 sub outings in 23/24. That means he’s featured in 74 of the 92 league games played since arriving for £750k from Portsmouth.
Opportunities dried up in the latter stages of last season though. He featured just once in the last nine games – off the bench in the East Anglian derby defeat – and started not making the 20-man matchday squad.
As it stands, McKenna only has four other players competing for the three positions in behind the striker - Hutchinson, Wes Burns, Conor Chaplin and Nathan Broadhead - but we know the Blues are keen on signing left-sided attacker Jaden Philogene from Hull and that other reinforcements are likely.
Harness has a year left on his contract, though Ipswich do have the option to extend that by a year. At 28, he is another who should want to play more regularly. Like Edmundson, he wouldn’t be short of Championship suitors.
FREDDIE LADAPO
Ladapo played a key role in Town’s promotion from League One – many of his 17 goals coming as a super sub – and continued to contribute during the first half of last season too (remember that crucial brace off the bench against Cardiff).
The Blues let him join League One club Charlton on loan in January though, with McKenna explaining: "It was the right thing to do for him. It’s probably been 12 months now where he hasn’t started too many games.”
Ipswich subsequently went out and signed Ali Al-Hamadi and Kieffer Moore. Ladapo, meanwhile, managed just one goal in eight starts and six sub appearances for the Addicks.
The 31-year-old is now heading into the final year of his contract at Portman Road. Whether it’s this window or next (after another six-month loan), I can see him joining the ‘left by mutual consent’ club along with the likes of Kyle Edwards and Joe Pigott.
ALI AL-HAMADI
It’s going to be interesting to see what Ipswich decide to do with Al-Hamadi this window.
The confident Liverpudlian arrived from AFC Wimbledon for a £1m+ fee in January and took the step up from League Two to the Championship in his stride, scoring four goals and regularly causing carnage off the bench.
Will McKenna keep him around to develop in house, add to squad depth and use as the odd wild card off the bench? The 22-year-old is desperate to become the first Iraqi to feature in the Premier League.
Or might he be sent out on loan to a Championship club? Newly-promoted Oxford United are among those who have already shown interest.
This exit isn’t something Ipswich are likely to sanction until at least one striker has been signed to compete with George Hirst.
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