After receiving a promotion from League One the previous season, The Tractor Boys have adapted well to life in the second division, having played a large portion of the season in and around the spots designated for automatic promotion.
Ipswich’s prospects of winning the top two spots were severely damaged, though, when they lost 2-1 at Cardiff City on Saturday. Kieffer Moore had given the visitors the lead in the 79th minute, but goals in injury time from Ryan Wintle and Callum O’Dowda sealed the three points for the Bluebirds.
The team led by Kieran McKenna is currently in third position in the standings, but they are only one point behind Leeds United in second place going into Saturday’s match at Portman Road against relegation-threatened Sheffield Wednesday.
The players that were promoted from League One the previous season have mainly remained under McKenna’s coaching, with the exception of one noteworthy addition: Vaclav Hladky has taken Christian Walton’s place in goal this season.
At the end of the season, both Walton and Hladky’s contracts expire, but a significant development about Hladky’s future may signal that Walton’s stay in Suffolk is about to end.
Christian Walton will be concerned about the news about Vaclav Hladky.
After becoming the team’s top player, Walton moved on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion to Ipswich in August 2021. The agreement was extended to a permanent position in January 2022.
The 28-year-old played a key role in the Tractor Boys’ promotion-winning campaign the previous year, with 24 clean sheets in 47 games across all competitions. His efforts were not ignored, as journalist Alan Nixon revealed that Premier League team Luton Town was considering a summer transfer.
But Walton’s foot issue kept him out of the game early in the season, and even though he became healthy again in October, he hasn’t been able to unseat Hladky.
This season, Hladky has maintained 11 clean sheets in 38 games across all competitions. Despite the odd error on his part, he has produced a number of outstanding saves to help his team win.
McKenna is unable to let go of the 33-year-old, and it appears the Tractor Boys want to keep him around as Hladky has revealed that talks on a new contract have begun with the team.
I have few words to share. Indeed, talks are on, but they may take some time, and nothing has been finalized as of yet,” Hladky stated to TWTD last week.
Like any player, I’m in my “tunnel” and my only thought is on Cardiff tomorrow.
“The stuff around me, I have people to deal with.”
Hladky remained reticent when asked if he would sign a contract extension on Portman Road, and his agent stated in December that his client had received approaches in response to Celtic’s alleged interest, thus he might get offers from other parties in the summer.
If Hladky leaves, there may be room for Walton to return to the team, but the fact that Ipswich is trying to lock down Hladky implies that McKenna sees him as the team’s first pick moving forward, which raises severe concerns about Walton’s future.
Although it’s unclear if the Tractor Boys will extend Walton’s contract, he will undoubtedly be eager to play football on a regular basis, and a goalie of his caliber should have no trouble finding a home in the summer.
Clubs in the Championship and League One would find Walton to be a more than capable alternative, and his departure appears probable if McKenna is unable to provide him of playing time in the main lineup the next season.
