Ipswich Town news: Transfer mission, Nigel Farage disaster, Jack Clarke claim, EFL play-offs confirmation | OneFootball

All the latest news surrounding Ipswich Town

Ipswich Town are in the mix for automatic promotion to the Premier League this season.

The Tractor Boys suffered relegation from the top flight in 2025 with a 19th place finish under Kieran McKenna, but they have their sights set on an immediate return.

The Suffolk outfit went 22 years between campaigns in the Premier League, but they now have their destiny in their own hands in ensuring this wait lasts just 12 months.

The gap to second place Middlesbrough is just two points, and McKenna’s side have a game in hand on their rivals for a top two spot.

Meanwhile, league leaders Coventry City are 11 points clear, giving them a comfortable gap in the race for the title.

Here we look at all the latest news surrounding Ipswich, with the club currently enjoying a two week gap between fixtures due to the March international break…

Nigel Farage PR disaster

Ipswich received a lot of criticism when pictures of Nigel Farage visiting Portman Road were posted to social media on Tuesday.

However, according to the Independent, the club did not invite him to the stadium and he instead booked a private tour without using his or the Reform party’s name.

The 61-year-old posed for photos with a Farage-branded jersey, and he also posted a satirical picture of him signing for the Championship side.

The Suffolk outfit have not released a statement in response to the incident, which has cause a lot of controversy during this international break.

Play-off dates confirmed

The EFL have officially confirmed the dates for the upcoming Championship play-offs, which could impact Ipswich.

The Tractor Boys currently occupy third in the table, which will lead to a first-leg semi-final taking place on 8 May in an 8pm kick-off against the side who finished sixth, if things remain as they stand.

Meanwhile, the second leg at Portman Road could happen on 11 May in another 8pm kick-off.

And the final will take place at Wembley Stadium on 23 May, although the kick-off time has not yet been made official.

Dan Neil praises Jack Clarke

Dan Neil has praised Jack Clarke’s performance in the team’s 1-1 draw against Millwall last weekend, with the winger putting McKenna’s side ahead before half-time.

While Josh Coburn equalised in the start of the second 45, the Ipswich midfielder claimed that the 25-year-old is the best winger in the entire division when he is at his best.

"That was probably the best Jack Clarke performance I have seen since I got back playing with him,” said Neil, via the BBC.

"He was direct, the right-back was almost a bit scared when he was getting it.

"When he's on it, he's by far the best winger in this league, bar none, and you saw that.

"We need to keep feeding him the ball in dangerous areas between now and the end of the season, and he can be the difference-maker for us."

Ipswich go on scouting mission

According to Danish outlet Campo, Ipswich were in attendance for the Europa League second leg clash between Nottingham Forest and Midtjylland last week.

Scouts from major clubs like Manchester United and Liverpool were also there to see the Danish club eliminated from the competition on penalties.

It’s believed that Dario Osorio is a player that could potentially have been of interest to the teams who watched closely.

However, it is unclear which player specifically that the Tractor Boys were there to take a look at, with a number of European clubs also in attendance