adminIpswich Town Yet to Make a Signing – But There’s No Need to Panic
With the 2025/26 season fast approaching, Ipswich Town remain one of just four Championship clubs yet to make a summer signing. But as Stuart Watson explains, that’s no reason for concern.
Calm Before the Storm
So far, 56 players have been signed across the Championship since the transfer window opened, briefly paused, and then reopened. Yet Ipswich, Sheffield Wednesday (plagued by financial issues), managerless Leicester City, and Middlesbrough (who only just appointed a new head coach) are still to enter the market.
But how many of those 56 signings would genuinely improve Ipswich’s squad?
Take Coventry’s £3.5m purchase of right-back Kaine Kesler-Hayden from Aston Villa — solid business after his successful spell at Preston. Other deals include:
Nat Phillips to West Brom for £3m
Harry Darling to Norwich on a free
Tommy Doyle on loan to Birmingham
Kwame Poku to QPR for £900k
Emil Riis to Bristol City on a Bosman
Ryan Hardie to Wrexham for £700k
You could argue a few might strengthen Town’s squad depth, but none are game-changers Ipswich should regret missing.
McKenna and Ashton Have a Plan
Manager Kieran McKenna has been clear: early relegation last season gave the club a valuable head start in planning. “We’ve worked really hard in the last few weeks… going into the summer with clarity,” he said.
Chairman Mark Ashton echoed that sentiment, stating in early June that Ipswich were already deep into negotiations:
> “The reality is deals fall when they fall — but we’re working to get them done early. The sooner players are with Kieran, the better.”
And after the fixture release on June 26, he added:
> “There’s no time to waste. We’ve got a long, hard season ahead and the team must be ready.”
No Overhaul Needed
It’s important to remember: Ipswich don’t require a massive squad rebuild. Last summer, despite being newly promoted to the Premier League, the club made minimal changes — Jack Taylor was the only notable addition before the deadline.
That’s because a Championship-calibre squad had already been assembled during their time in League One. The same logic applies now.
If the season started tomorrow, Ipswich could field a strong XI of:
Palmer; Johnson, O’Shea, Greaves, Davis; Morsy, Taylor; Hutchinson, Chaplin, J. Clarke; Hirst
Bench options? Walton, H. Clarke, Woolfenden, Townsend, Humphreys, Broadhead, Al-Hamadi — with Szmodics, Philogene and (hopefully) Ogbene also in the mix, and Burns due back in autumn.
Retention, not just recruitment, has been key. O’Shea has signed a new five-year contract, and efforts are underway to tie down Hirst as well.
Expect no repeat of last summer’s 12-player influx. At most, six smart additions could finalise the squad — including a left-sided centre-back, one or two central midfielders, a versatile forward, and possibly one or two strikers. Of those, only a midfielder is expected to be a nailed-on starter.
Timing is Everything
The club’s ownership is financially strong, but P&S (Profit and Sustainability) rules still apply. Ashton confirmed that Ipswich pushed hard against the Premier League’s financial limits last season, so this summer’s spending was always expected to begin after the new financial year kicked off in July.
The ideal scenario is to have signings in before the team flies out to Austria for pre-season on July 14 — and there’s still time.
Last year at this point, only Omari Hutchinson (on loan, later permanent) and Ben Johnson (on a free) had been signed. It’s still early days.
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Big Ambitions Take Time
There’s a difference between wanting early business and actually being able to complete it. Ipswich now operate as a bigger player in the transfer market, but elite targets naturally take longer to secure — especially when they’re weighing up offers or waiting for their current clubs to make pre-season plans.
Premier League clubs are currently juggling international absentees and will only release fringe players later this summer. That doesn’t mean Ipswich aren’t already in pole position for several targets.
Patience is key, but so is balance — Ipswich can’t afford to put all their eggs in one basket and risk missing out. However, fans should expect the club to start the window with high ambition.
Summary
Ipswich have most of their squad in place and a clear transfer plan in motion. With quality, not quantity, the focus — and 10 days until pre-season begins in Austria — there’s no cause for panic.
The summer is only just getting started.
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