The 10 Ipswich Town players set to leave Portman Road in 2026 including veteran star

Ipswich Town Targeting Championship Promotion After Premier League Drop

Following their relegation from the Premier League, Ipswich Town are setting their sights on an immediate return, aiming to compete for promotion in the Championship this season.

Manager Kieran McKenna has wasted no time in reshaping his squad, bringing in a host of new signings to strengthen the team. David Button, Ashley Young, Cedric Kipre, Azor Matusiwa, Jens Cajuste, and Chuba Akpom have all arrived at Portman Road as part of the club’s summer rebuild.

However, the club has also seen several key departures, with Cameron Burgess, Axel Tuanzebe, Sam Morsy, Omari Hutchinson, Nathan Broadhead, and Liam Delap among those who have moved on.

While McKenna remains focused on further reinforcements before the transfer window closes, he also faces important decisions regarding players whose contracts are set to expire at the end of the season.

Here’s a closer look at the players who, as things stand, are set to leave Ipswich next summer unless new deals are agreed.

Players in Final Year of Contract

Christian Walton
Walton first joined Ipswich on loan from Brighton in 2021 and made the switch permanent in early 2022. He played a pivotal role in their 2022–23 League One promotion campaign, keeping 23 clean sheets in 46 games. However, the last two seasons have seen him primarily serve as a backup, and that continues into the new campaign. A decision on his future is likely at the end of the season.

David Button
The experienced goalkeeper joined Ipswich on a free transfer from Reading this summer, becoming McKenna’s first signing of the window. Expected to serve as cover for Alex Palmer and Walton, the 36-year-old may struggle for game time as the team’s third-choice keeper.

Harry Clarke
Signed from Arsenal in January 2023 for £1.5 million, Clarke was instrumental in Ipswich’s double promotion. However, he lost his place in the squad during last season’s Premier League campaign and was loaned to Sheffield United. Now back at Portman Road and recovering from a knee injury, he’ll be aiming to re-establish himself.

Ashley Young
The veteran defender joined on a free after leaving Everton and reportedly turned down former club Watford to join Ipswich. While he proved last season he can still perform at a high level, his future remains uncertain as he approaches his 41st birthday.

Elkan Baggott
Although Baggott has only made a handful of senior appearances for Ipswich, the club activated an extension to keep him for another year, showing McKenna’s belief in his potential. With last season’s loan at Blackpool disrupted by injury, another temporary move could be on the cards, and his performances may determine whether he earns a new deal.

Conor Townsend
Townsend arrived from West Brom last year and served as a reliable backup to Leif Davis at left-back. Unfortunately, a serious knee injury suffered in pre-season is set to sideline him for most of the year, casting doubt over his long-term future with the club.

Jack Taylor
Taylor signed from Peterborough in 2023 for £1.5 million but has found consistent starts hard to come by. Although he’s begun this season as a regular, he may face increased competition from Cajuste and big-money signing Matusiwa as the season progresses.

Cameron Humphreys
A graduate of the Ipswich academy, Humphreys impressed on loan at Wycombe Wanderers last season, contributing seven goals and six assists across 50 games. Though McKenna sees him as part of the squad, he may struggle for minutes with the arrival of new midfield options and others ahead of him in the pecking order.

Wes Burns
Burns, who signed from Fleetwood Town in 2021, was a standout performer during Ipswich’s rise through the divisions and featured regularly in the Premier League early last season. A knee injury sustained at Liverpool in January has kept him sidelined since. McKenna remains a fan, but any contract extension will likely depend on his recovery and return to form.

Conor Chaplin
Joining from Barnsley in 2021, Chaplin played a key role in Ipswich’s back-to-back promotions. However, he’s no longer a guaranteed starter and has primarily featured from the bench so far this season. The 28-year-old will be eager to prove he still has a major part to play in McKenna’s plans.

As Ipswich gear up for a critical season in the Championship, contract decisions will be as important as performances on the pitch. With several key players entering the final year of their deals, the coming months could shape the club’s future just as much as their push for promotion.