Ipswich Town has had a fantastic season in the Championship.
After receiving a promotion from League One the previous season, The Tractor Boys have adapted well to life in the second division, playing the majority of the season in and around the spots designated for automatic promotion.
Regardless of the season’s result, Ipswich has had an incredible year. The next several weeks will undoubtedly be stressful as they try to clinch their Premier League return.
The Tractor Boys’ accomplishments are all the more remarkable when you realize that manager Kieran McKenna has mainly stuck with the same core of players that were promoted the previous year, with 11 new players joining the team during the year to provide depth and quality.
McKenna will be eager to bolster his team in the summer, regardless of the division Ipswich plays in, but there may also be some player exits from the team.
In light of this, we examined the players who might be eager to depart Portman Road.
Christian Walton
Goalkeeper Walton first came to Ipswich from Brighton & Hove Albion on loan in August 2021, then in January 2022, the deal became permanent.
Walton kept 24 clean sheets in 47 appearances across all categories last season, which was a major factor in the club’s promotion from League One. Luton Town, a Premier League team, reportedly expressed interest in Walton during the summer.
The 28-year-old stuck in Suffolk, but his foot ailment kept him out of action at the beginning of the season. Even after getting back to full condition in October, he hasn’t been able to unseat Vaclav Hladky.
Walton will be itching to play meaningful football after sitting on the sidelines for a year, and there should be no shortage of enthusiasm in
With Hladky’s future uncertain, Walton’s contract expires in the summer. While he might be offered a new term, it appears likely that he would turn it down unless he was guaranteed a spot at the top of the list.
Janoi Donacien
In August 2018, defender Donacien came to Ipswich on loan from Accrington Stanley. In January 2019, he made the transfer permanent.
Donacien was a mainstay for the Tractor Boys during the first part of the previous season, but after Harry Clarke joined from Arsenal in January of last year, he lost his spot and has since dropped further in the hierarchy.
The 30-year-old has a history of ailments, but it appears that his time at Portman Road is running out because right-backs Clarke, Brandon Williams, and Axel Tuanzebe have all played before him.
Despite the fact that Donacien’s contract expires in the summer, McKenna called him “a very important player since the day I arrived” in August. The defender may also be eager to move on and rekindle his career.
Dominic Ball
Midfielder Ball joined Portman Road from Queens Park Rangers in June 2022, and after a strong Championship year for the R’s, he appeared to be a wise acquisition.
But Ball’s knee injury kept him out of the game for a large portion of the previous campaign, and ever since he recovered, he has played very little.
Ball has not been considered a long-term fixture by McKenna, as evidenced by his decision to buy Lewis Travis on loan from Blackburn Rovers in January. Instead, midfielders Sam Morsy, Massimo Luongo, and Jack Taylor have all been preferred over Ball this season.
Ball’s contract expires in the summer, much as Donacien’s, so it would be in everyone’s best interests to let him go.
