The Tractor Boys may have worked well as a team during the 2023/24 campaign, and won promotion against all odds, but they need to ensure they have the right calibre of players in their squad to give themselves a chance of avoiding the drop.
Having worked so hard to secure back-to-back promotions, Kieran McKenna and his team will want to establish themselves as a solid top-flight team, a difficult assignment but not an impossible one with committed owners and a vociferous fanbase on their side.
They will need to replace those who are going to be released at the end of the season, as well as their former loan players.
More experience will be needed up top following Kieffer Moore’s return to AFC Bournemouth – and more depth will be required in midfield with Jeremy Sarmiento and Lewis Travis both leaving.
Omari Hutchinson looks set to be the club’s biggest miss though, with the youngster doing a phenomenal job at Portman Road during his time away from Chelsea.
According to Fabrizio Romano, there is a “concrete” possibility that Hutchinson will be loaned out again in the summer, which is a boost for Ipswich.
However, they look set to face a considerable amount of competition for the 20-year-old’s signature.
Top-flight clubs from England, Germany and the Netherlands are all thought to be keen on the player, but the Tractor Boys can now offer him top-tier football as well and that could give them a real chance of securing another deal for the attacking midfielder.
It seems as though any side that wants to recruit him will have to settle for a loan deal though.
CEO Mark Ashton is likely to be a busy man during the summer.
There are plenty of areas that need to be addressed during the upcoming window, with the defence, midfield and attack all arguably needing to be strengthened before the start of the 2024/25 campaign.
Asked earlier this week at the end of season dinner what he wanted for his birthday, which is coming up on May 14th, manager McKenna replied “Omari” in a tongue-in-cheek manner.
A fan had shouted “Omari” just before he did – and it’s fair to say that both the supporter and McKenna spoke on behalf of everyone at Ipswich in terms of wanting Hutchinson back.
