23-year-old must seal Ipswich Town escape this month - Kieran McKenna seems uncertain | OneFootball

Ipswich Town defender Elkan Baggott should seal a loan move away from Portman Road this month amid his lack of game time in the Championship.

Ipswich Town are vying to utilise the transfer window to bolster their chances of sealing an immediate return to the Premier League.

The Tractor Boys are yet to make a new signing this month, but defender Harry Clarke has departed Portman Road to join fellow Championship club Charlton Athletic on loan.

Ipswich could facilitate further player exits in the transfer window to help free up space for new signings who can help fire them back to the Premier League.

Kieran McKenna's men defeated Blackburn Rovers 3-0 on Saturday to ensure that they remain just two points behind automatic promotion rivals Middlesbrough, with a game in hand on the North East outfit.

Elkan Baggott must ensure he secures Ipswich Town exit this month

McKenna is lucky to benefit from the services of some of the best players in the Championship across all positions, including former Hull City winger Jaden Philogene-Bidace.

It is no surprise that the club who won back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League in 2023 and 2024 are once again proving their class in the second tier.

Amid their efforts to enjoy yet another memorable season, Ipswich have several talented defenders on their books, such as Cedric Kipre and Dara O'Shea.

However, one victim of the Suffolk outfit's success so far this term is fellow centre-back Elkan Baggott, who has not made a Championship appearance.

When discussing whether the 23-year-old could leave Portman Road this month, McKenna told the East Anglian Daily Times: "It's a fine balance because he's been one of four senior centre-halves this year. And I don't think there's a club in the Championship who have less than four senior centre-halves.

"The three players ahead of him have hardly missed a minute's football at all, so he hasn't had minutes on the pitch, but I still think he's improved. His application in training is outstanding.

"He's worked so hard with the coaches individually. I think he's a better player now than he was on the 1st of July. I think he'll see some of the fruits of that labour when he starts picking up minutes again, whenever, wherever that is.

"We're trying to make the right judgements on that because as much as we've had really, really good injury availability the first half of the season, that can change quick. We have to make sure that we have enough competition and cover.

"That said, with your good young players that you rate highly, you want them to get minutes for their development as well. So we'll try and make the right call over the next couple of weeks."

While the likes of Kipre, O'Shea, and Jacob Greaves remain above Baggott in McKenna's pecking order, the Indonesia international should push for a move away from Ipswich before the transfer window closes.

At 23 years old, he is at a vital stage in his development as a player, but his only appearance of the season saw him play for just one minute of normal time in an FA Cup win over Blackpool.

Baggott is an Ipswich academy graduate, but the majority of his appearances in senior football have come away from Portman Road.

The defender made seven appearances for King's Lynn Town, then of the National League in 2020/21, while his 2022/23 season was split between stints at both Gillingham and Cheltenham Town.

Baggott went on to make 20 outings while on loan with Blackpool in League One last season, while his career would heavily benefit from yet another stint in either the third or fourth tier, so he must push for an Ipswich exit, even if that means leaving his parent-club's push for a Premier League return.