Ipswich Town must still regret letting Burnley win striker race - he could have thrived at Portman Road | OneFootball

Ipswich Town missed out on a major transfer opportunity in 2011

Ipswich Town have spent a large portion of the last 20 years acting as sleeping giants.

The Tractor Boys enjoy a rich history, matched by a few in the English game. They have enjoyed First Division, FA Cup and UEFA Cup success in the past, with such stature in the sport felt all around the walls at Portman Road.

However, recent times haven’t been as kind to the Suffolk outfit. In fact, they have spent most of the past two decades battling between the Championship and League One.

A recent trip to the Premier League highlighted that Ipswich are back on the right track for success, but it could be argued that a club of their size should be top-flight regulars.

Town spent a large portion of the early 2010s flirting with the Championship play-offs, taking part in a memorable semi-final against arch-rivals Norwich City in 2015.

They never managed to get promotion over the line however, and there are a couple of flashpoints around that time which may have ultimately determined Ipswich’s fate.

Ipswich Town’s Charlie Austin misfortune cost them massively

Around the time when the Tractor Boys were regularly pushing for the play-offs, Charlie Austin was emerging as one of the EFL’s most exciting forwards.

The striker scored 20 goals in the third tier as Swindon reached the play-off final in 2010, before scoring 12 goals during the first half of the 2010/11 campaign.

In January 2011, multiple second-tier outfits were clamouring to try and secure Austin’s services, and it appeared that Ipswich Town were in pole position to do so.

It was reported that the marksman was set to sign a three-and-a-half-year contract at Portman Road, with Austin even travelling to Suffolk to finalise the move.

However, the two parties couldn’t agree on terms and eventually the deal was called off. Burnley used this opportunity to swoop in and secure the Swindon man.

Austin was an instant hit at Turf Moor, scoring 16 league goals during the 2011/12 Championship campaign, before netting 24 times in the division the following year.

This flying form saw the striker secure a move to Queens Park Rangers, where he went on to become one of the Rs' best players in their modern history.

Ipswich missed out on a forward of this quality due to minor details, and it may just have cost them promotion in the years that followed.

The Tractor Boys were constantly on the edge of the play-offs during that time period and if they had Austin heading up their attack, it can be imagined that Ipswich would’ve gotten over the line.

Charlie Austin proved how important player power can be in Ipswich Town scenario

Often, during transfer proceedings, clubs and players have to do a lot of compromising to reach a healthy middle ground when negotiating a contract.

Footballers who are in form have more power when discussing terms, which is exactly what Austin proved in this scenario.

He knew his ability was only going to get better when in talks with Ipswich and clearly wanted that reflected in his move to Portman Road.

That didn’t happen, but he had the peace of mind that other clubs would be lining up to sign him due to his brilliant performances with Swindon.

Whereas Ipswich came out second-best and had to watch on as the man they played hardball with scored prolifically for Burnley and QPR.