Ipswich Town’s latest Premier League defeat to Tottenham Hotspur will have really dented the Tractor Boys’ confidence, with the 4-1 loss now leaving Kieran McKenna’s troops five points off 17th-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers.
At the moment, an instant return to the Championship does look to be on the cards, with McKenna already presumably eyeing up this approaching summer in terms of what he does with his playing squad, irrespective of whether they do live to see another day in the top-flight or an expected relegation occurs.
This coming window, a whole host of players will be out of contract at Portman Road, with lots of decisions to be made, therefore, on a large portion of the Ipswich personnel.
The key decisions Ipswich will have to make this summer
Before delving deeper into the bodies that are outright out of contract, there are a number of loan faces that will depart Suffolk when the summer comes around.
Indeed, midfield duo Jens Cajuste and Kalvin Phillips will see their loan deals expire, with both players in question putting in some solid and admirable displays centrally, meaning McKenna would no doubt have to recruit some fresh players in this area of the pitch.
Moreover, the likes of Ben Godfrey and Julio Enciso will also return to Atalanta and Brighton and Hove Albion respectively, but neither of those exits will hurt that much, with Enciso barely featuring since a January loan switch, whilst Godfrey has looked routinely out of his depth.
That brings us to the permanent members of McKenna’s camp that have nearly run down their current deals, with utility figures Cameron Burgess and Axel Tuanzebe in danger of leaving.
But, there is another well-regarded servant at Portman Road who could also up and leave, with the decision to let him go probably the smartest decision in the long-term.
The "accomplished" Ipswich player who could leave
The look of Ipswich’s side might well need a facelift when the 2024/25 season is over, with McKenna sticking it out with a lot of players who have been there throughout the club’s dramatic rise up to the Premier League.
In the elite league, a number of his once trusty personnel haven’t quite been able to deal with the intense step-up in quality, with Massimo Luongo one name who has been fading into the background.
The Australian did play his part in Ipswich’s unbelievable promotion story last season, with the ex-Tottenham Hotspur youngster chipping in with three goals from 43 Championship appearances to live up to his manager’s billing that he was an “accomplished” performer in the EFL when joining the ranks back in January of 2023.
“He’s got a lot of quality and a lot of experience for a 30-year-old. He’s a really accomplished midfielder, technically very good, takes the ball very well, has really good game intelligence and therefore fits in really well with how we play.”
But, as has been seen throughout McKenna’s squad, the Premier League is a wildly different kettle of fish, with Luongo’s game-time evaporating since promotion was sealed.
Games played
43
7
Games started
37
2
Minutes per game
74
27
Goals scored
3
0
Assists
0
0
Touches per game
56.2
11.1
Accurate passes
36.6 (85%)
5.6 (76%)
Ball recoveries per game
5.2
1.4
Duels won per game
4.9
1.6
Looking at the table above further reinforces how far the £10k-per-week earner has fallen down the pecking order, with Luongo only averaging 27 minutes of action when given a rare Premier League run-out, among other declining numbers.
Whilst it’s obvious he was cut out for the second tier, the 32-year-old just hasn’t looked comfortable when gifted a top-flight opportunity, leaving his manager now with a conundrum as to whether he should offload the experienced head in the summer when his contract is up.
That does feel like the wisest choice to make, but before any talk centres on bodies leaving the building, survival against all the odds remains on the agenda.
0 duels won: McKenna must axe Ipswich dud who can’t cut it in the PL
Tottenham Hotspur picked up a 4-1 away win at the expense of Ipswich Town.
1 ByKelan SarsonFeb 23, 2025
