Ipswich Town have spent more than £100m adding 12 new faces to the squad this summer as they tackle the Premier League. Mark Heath attempts to rank the signings, based on excitement factor, value, potential and more...
Here we are again. The last time Town made such a flurry of summer signings - that infamous 'Demolition Man' window of 2021 - I decided it would be a good idea to try to rank them 1-19.
The fullness of time has shown my list to be a very mixed bag, with notable stinkers being Hayden Coulson at six, Rekeem Harper at nine and the likes of Wes Burns (12th), Vaclav Hladky (17th) and Sone Aluko (19th!) appearing way too low down.
So, in the spirit of getting a debate going - and being a sucker for punishment - I thought I'd have another go. Herewith, my 1-12 ranking based on what we've seen so far, value for money, excitement factor, potential and general vibes.
1) Omari Hutchinson
From: Chelsea
Cost: £18m
You could make a solid argument for a fair few folks at number one, but I'm going with the guy who kicked all the summer business off in a move which obliterated the previous club record - a mark which has been blown to bits EIGHT times.
Hutchinson was sensational down the stretch last season, has hit the ground running again this term and looked superb against Fulham.
A five-year deal means he's a protected asset too and, if and when Town do have to sell him, he'll be going for a lot more than £18m.
An electrifying presence and one capable of making something from nothing, even in the Premier League.
2) Jacob Greaves
From: Hull City
Cost: £15m
Greaves said he wanted to come to Town to test himself against the best and prove he belongs at the top level.
He's done that so far, starting just seconds into the Liverpool game with that thunderous firm-but-fair slide tackle on Dominik Szoboszlai and generally looking more than a match for the athleticism and physicality of the Premier League.
The 6ft 4ins centre-back is dominant in the air, and looks like he's going to get his head on some attacking set pieces too.
At 23-years-old and having signed a five-year deal, he could anchor Town's defence for years to come - and be a future captain.
3) Kalvin Phillips
From: Manchester City
Cost: Loan
Clearly, on pedigree alone, Phillips should be top of this list. Just a year ago, the idea that a 31-cap England international who cost Man City £42m would choose to come to Town over other Premier League suitors was ludicrous. And yet.
It's obviously a very exciting signing, and you'd expect Phillips to establish himself as one of the midfield starters in short order, while bringing a lot of knowledge and experience to the group. He has some big points to prove too.
Really grew into the game with Fulham last Saturday and sprayed some lovely passes around. The interaction with fans as he was subbed off - imploring them to make some noise with passionate gesticulations - was a good sign of a beautiful relationship being forged too.
So, why's he not top? Well, he's not a permanent signing, and I just like the deals above more from a potential and future profit prospective.
4) Liam Delap
From: Manchester City
Cost: £15m
Kieran McKenna has often referred to Delap, 21, as a 'powerful runner.' On the basis of his performances so far, that's akin to saying Usain Bolt was a bit nippy.
Delap is part-battering ram, part-runaway train, built like a rugby league tank. He got Liverpool's Jarrell Quansah subbed at half-time on opening day because he was, in the words of Arne Slot, losing too many duels with Town's new striker.
Then on Saturday he was simply sensational, scoring a ripsnorter of a goal from distance - a suitably memorable strike for Town's first top tier goal at Portman Road in 22 years - and gave Fulham all sorts of problems with his strength and pace.
Luke Woolfenden later revealed that he's never seen anyone hit a ball as hard as Delap. I'm calling him a 2024 version of Ted Phillips, the 1960s Town icon famed for having the hardest shot in football.
5) Jack Clarke
From: Sunderland
Cost: £15m
If this list were based purely on excitement factor, Clarke would have to be nearer the top - he was brilliant for Sunderland, and I can see him becoming a Town fan favourite pretty quickly too.
The saggy-socked wing-wizard, 23, has the floppy hair and baggy shorts of a late 90s boy band member, but a game which is very modern indeed, taking every opportunity to cut inside off the left with his right foot and look to shoot or create.
You'd imagine he'll end up starting on the left more often than not, and the prospect of he and Leif Davis running at defenders down that side is a tantalising one.
We'll need to find out a bit more about his defensive work rate and physicality though, because in this team and at this level, you better be doing that too.
6) Jens Cajuste
From: Napoli
Cost: Loan
For Cajuste, see Phillips. An experienced Swedish international arriving in Suffolk from Napoli is another surreal scenario.
And I really like this move. Cajuste looked smooth and confident when he replaced Phillips on Saturday, taking to the level of play in the Premier League with ease.
He's a bit of a unit too, standing 6ft 2ins, and appears to be that dynamic, athletic midfielder which teams need in the top tier. Spoke upon signing of wanting to bring 'British-style slide tackles' with him, which earns him extra points on the Heath rating scale too.
Having a strong midfield - both in terms of the starters and the depth - is going to be so important for Town this season. Cajuste will play a big part in that.
7) Sammie Szmodics
From: Blackburn Rovers
Cost: £9m
I'll admit it, when the Szmodics link first emerged, I wasn't a fan of the move. Yes, he was brilliant in the Championship last season, but that was by far the standout year of his career and he's pushing 29-years-old, which doesn't really fit the usual McKenna/Ashton profile.
But, having talked Rovers all the way down from £20m - which would have been madness - to £9m, the deal is looking better by the day.
Looked really lively off the bench against Liverpool, scored Town's first Premier League goal in 22 years as part of a MOTM display at the minnows of Manchester City, and was tidy again on Saturday, if not quite as eye-catching.
Full of confidence and has a bit of edge/swagger about him.
8) Ben Johnson
From: West Ham
Cost: Free
The second signing of Town's summer was a stark contrast to the first - from an £18m club record to a free agent.
But signing the experienced Johnson, who arrived having played 69 Premier League games for the Hammers and tussled in top European clashes, was a very astute bit of business.
He's versatile too, and feels like a really good dressing room guy.
I had assumed he'd be an every game starter at right back, but that's not been the case so far - will be interesting to see how McKenna uses him over the course of a season.
9) Aro Muric
From: Burnley
Cost: £8m
The first time I did this list, I put Christian Walton down at 15th and Hladky at 17th - the keepers who respectively a) got Town out of League One as one of the third tier's best stoppers and b) starred in goal last season as Town ripped through the Championship.
So you'd think I'd have learned my lesson about ranking keepers this low down, but I haven't - because they just don't excite me as much as other signings.
On paper, Muric is big, imposing, good with the ball at feet and boasts just the right amount of slightly-unhinged-behind-the-eyes edge which top keepers need.
His start hasn't been great though, so I'm reserving judgement for now, putting him ninth - and hoping I'm made to look a dunce once again.
10) Chiedozie Ogbene
From: Luton
Cost: £8m
As it turned out, Ogbene was Town's 12th and final signing of the summer window, and I'm still a bit surprised by it.
On the face of it, Town didn't really need another right winger, with the likes of Wes Burns, Hutchinson and even Johnson able to play there.
But depth is all and, with Burns out injured for 'a number of weeks' with that hamstring issue, I guess McKenna wanted more options in the building.
The 27-year-old does have Premier League experience of course - four goals and an assist in 30 top tier games last season - and has started both matches since arriving. He's clearly rapid and tricky, I just wonder how he'll be used when Burns gets back.
11) Dara O'Shea
From: Burnley
Cost: £12m
The penultimate summer signing, O'Shea's big money capture saw George Edmundson head for the exit door on loan.
He's undoubtedly a good player, having featured in the Premier League for the Clarets and won 26 caps for the Republic of Ireland.
This one isn't anywhere near as exciting as Greaves for me though, and I do wonder how long it will take O'Shea to get up to speed with Town's system, especially now he's off for international duty with the Republic in this break.
I'll be fascinated to see if he can unseat Luke Woolfenden in the starting XI - because £12m is a hell of a lot to pay for a back-up.
12) Conor Townsend
From: West Brom
Cost: £500k
Ah, the tried and tested Heath route of putting the veteran bottom of the pile. Worked out so well with Aluko.
Someone has to be bottom though and Townsend is my pick. That's not because he's a bad player or signing - getting an experienced and much-needed back-up for Leif Davis for just £500k is great business.
So superb value, yes. But I can't rank solid pro Townsend above anyone else on this list in terms of excitement or potential.
Sorry, Conor - I look forward to you making me eat my words in the same way Sone did.
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