Ipswich Town are back in the Premier League, and their transfer plans are already reported to be underway with an interesting summer ahead.
For the second time in three years, Kieran McKenna has guided the club into the top flight, sealing automatic promotion on the final day of the Championship season with a commanding 3-0 victory over QPR at Portman Road.
George Hirst and Jaden Philogene struck early before Kasey McAteer wrapped things up, sparking a pitch invasion and scenes of pure joy in Suffolk.
After last season’s relegation — in which they collected just 22 points and finished 19th — bouncing straight back up represents a remarkable achievement and a testament to McKenna’s ability to keep a squad together through adversity.
Now the real work begins.
McKenna knows better than anyone that the squad which dominated the Championship will need reinforcing if Ipswich are to avoid a repeat of last season’s top-flight struggles.
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The recruitment department has reportedly been active for weeks, and the early links point to a club thinking ambitiously.
Burnley forward Zian Flemming has been offered to the Tractor Boys by his agents, with the 27-year-old Dutchman available after the Clarets’ relegation.
But the most intriguing possibility to emerge may involve a familiar face.
Ipswich could seal ‘surprise’ Liam Delap reunion with Chelsea exit on the cards
According to TEAMtalk, sources believe a ‘surprise’ return to Portman Road for Liam Delap is now a genuine possibility.
The 23-year-old striker, who scored 12 Premier League goals for Ipswich during their ill-fated 2024/25 campaign before Chelsea activated his £30m release clause last June, has endured a miserable time at Stamford Bridge.
Just one league goal in 26 appearances, limited to around 1,000 Premier League minutes across the season, and frozen out by persistent injuries and fierce competition from Joao Pedro.
Now, Chelsea have apparently made it clear that Delap is available this summer.
New manager Xabi Alonso has requested “ready-made” attacking reinforcements, and the ex-Man City forward does not fit that profile.
The club are actively exploring moves for Brentford’s Igor Thiago and Galatasaray’s Victor Osimhen — established goalscorers who can contribute immediately.
Delap, by contrast, needs regular football and a fresh start.
Newcastle and Everton are currently in the race for his signature, with both clubs long-standing admirers. Eddie Howe tracked Delap during his Ipswich days, while the Toffees pushed hard to sign him last summer before Chelsea beat them to the punch. Brighton and Sunderland are also monitoring the situation.
But TEAMtalk’s sources have flagged Ipswich as a potential destination, and the logic is not difficult to follow.
McKenna built his attack around Delap two seasons ago, the player thrived in the system, and the fans adored him.
A return to a club where he felt settled and valued, playing every week in the Premier League, could be exactly what his career needs after a bruising year in west London.
Whether Ipswich can compete financially with the likes of Newcastle and Everton is another question entirely.
The fee is expected to be below what Chelsea paid, but it will still represent a significant outlay for a newly promoted club.
The will appears to be there, but the numbers need to work too.
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