Big Ipswich Town update emerges - Portman Road exits now inevitable as £1 billion target is set | OneFootball

Could more player exits be coming for Kieran McKenna's squad after Brett Johnson's revelation?

Ipswich Town owner Brett Johnson has revealed that he is aiming to attract up to £200 million in fresh financial investment into the club - although he has warned that further player sales this summer are likely following relegation from the Premier League.

The Tractor Boys registered back-to-back promotions in 2023 and 2024 to return to the Premier League for the first time in 22 years, but unfortunately could not stay there for longer than one season.

US investment fund Gamechanger 20 Limited took over the club from Marcus Evans in 2021 when they were still in League One, and it's fair to say with their backing, the Suffolk's side ascent back up the footballing pyramid has been a rapid one.

Ipswich spent heavily last summer in a bid to strengthen Kieran McKenna's squad enough to stave off the threat of immediate relegation, but that plan would not work in the end.

Ipswich Town targeting £1 billion valuation by 2031 - but player sales are likely this summer

Part of Gamechanger is the "Three Lions Fund", including aforementioned investor Johnson, who has been one of the leading figures at the club since his arrival in 2021.

The majority stakeholder is Ed Schwarz through his company ORG, but it is Johnson who is leading the chase for new investment to come into the club, and he has reached out to potentially interested parties via email.

Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System, who are also part-owners of the club, are looking to reduce their share in Town, and Johnson has claimed, as per the EADT, that the club are looking to have a £1 billion valuation by 2031 in six years.

Johnson is looking for an investor to pay between £184 million and £214 million for the controlling stake for Ipswich Town, which would represent an "enterprise value" of £375 million - reduced by £50 million if promotion isn't achieved within the next two years back to the Premier League.

There will have to be somewhat of a balancing of the books though, as per Johnson, as he has stated that as well as £56 million worth of parachute payments being expected to arrive at Portman Road this summer, over £100 million worth of money from player sales is also expected.

The only Ipswich player to depart so far for a significant fee is striker Liam Delap, whose £30 million relegation release clause was triggered by Chelsea last month, so Town have a long way to go to meet Johnson's reported target.

Omari Hutchinson could be next out of Ipswich Town exit door amid £100m+ claim

Whilst the overwhelming feeling of the contents of Johnson's email are positive, with a potential fresh investor coming on board that could bring more wealth into Portman Road, the short-term aspect it was the most eye-opening.

Ipswich will lose significant amounts of money from TV rights from the Premier League, which is why parachute payments exist for clubs to cope, but given the spend of last season, sales will need to be made to balance the books.

Omari Hutchinson looks likely to be the next player out of the exit door you'd imagine, with multiple clubs sniffing around the England youth international and his reported £35 million release clause, as per Football Insider, which would represent a £15 million profit on the fee paid to Chelsea last summer.

Sales are completely normal for relegated Championship clubs, but as long as Kieran McKenna is allowed to re-invest some of the money into his squad, then things should be fine at Ipswich.