Huddersfield Town should be on red alert after Ipswich Town player decision | OneFootball

Huddersfield Town should attempt to bring Cameron Humphreys back permanently this summer

Cameron Humphreys is still an Ipswich Town player for now, but it's surely only a matter of time before the 22-year-old finds a new permanent home.

The young midfielder has arguably been the biggest victim of the rapid rise of Ipswich under Kieran McKenna, emerging as a top prospect from the academy in the midst of their back-to-back promotions into the Premier League.

After having a very successful loan spell at Wycombe Wanderers in League One while the Tractor Boys competed back in the top flight, many were tipping Humphreys for an extended role in the side this past season upon their Championship return.

But, with the squad stronger as a whole, plus the addition of some top engine room operators, Humphreys was again left by the wayside, and with his contract coming to an end this summer, it seemed like there was going to be only one option for the 22-year-old.

In the end, a one-year option was taken by his parent club. But with the fact that it wasn't an official multi-year extension, paired with their Premier League status, it's evident that this option is so that the club can get a fee for their academy product.

Huddersfield Town should ensure they're at the front of the queue to sign Cameron Humphreys

Humphreys' opening half of the recent campaign was spent riding the Ipswich bench or even failing to get into the squad. After just 10 minutes of Championship action, it was clear that his short-term future lay elsewhere when the January transfer window opened.

After registering 13 goal involvements for a play-off side the year prior, the 22-year-old wasn't short of options, and it would be Huddersfield Town who would secure his services until the end of the season.

The second half of the campaign was a dismal one for the Terriers, as Liam Manning struggled to hit the ground running after he replaced Lee Grant before stepping away from his post due to personal matters. It ultimately saw Huddersfield fade away from the play-off race and finish outside the top six for a second successive year in the third tier.

Despite everything that was going on off the field at the Accu Stadium, though, Humphreys made sure that people remembered who he was on it. His per 90 stats had him in the top 10% of League One defensive midfielders for chances created and duels won.

He appeared in every league game he was available for, starting 17 of the 21 outings. Crucially, he started every game under interim bosses Martin Drury and Jon Stead. The former has since been promoted to full-time head coach, with the latter his assistant.

So, Humphreys has an admirer in Drury, plus a pedigree of being one of the top engine room operators in the third tier. At 22, he still has plenty of room to improve and become at least a Championship-level player, so Huddersfield should be all over him as they aim to get out of League One at the third attempt.

Huddersfield Town may face competition from Championship clubs for Cameron Humphreys

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Unfortunately for Huddersfield, they may not be alone in their pursuit of Humphreys this summer, as and when Ipswich makes him available for sale.

Despite only having six appearances in the division, some Championship clubs may look at his solid performances over an 18-month stint in the third tier over the past couple of seasons and look to take a chance on him and oversee his development further.

But if the Terriers still have ambitions to get out of League One this coming season, they'll have to flex their muscles and look to entice second-tier-level footballers to drop a level to play for them.

They managed to do it last summer with the likes of Ryan Ledson, Marcus Harness and Murray Wallace, and you can imagine that owner Kevin Nagle will be using his wealth and influence to do the same again ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.

If Huddersfield were able to get Humphreys over the line, it would serve as a big statement to the rest of the division about their intentions to win promotion ahead of some other big-name sides at the level.