Kieran McKenna has admirers at Crystal Palace, his players fear could leave Ipswich Town | OneFootball

Crystal Palace are keeping a close eye on Kieran McKenna as the Eagles continue their search for a new manager ahead of next season.

According to the Daily Mail, McKenna has admirers at Selhurst Park and could be the club’s replacement for the departing Oliver Glasner.

McKenna has caught the eye of Crystal Palace after guiding Ipswich Town back to the Premier League at the first attempt following relegation last term.

The 39-year-old sealed a third promotion during his time at the club, but now his players fear he could jump ship.

The Northern Irish coach remains under contract until June 2028, meaning any club hoping to prise him away would likely face a sizeable compensation package.

However, his ‘sensational’ work has not gone unnoticed across the Premier League.

Crystal Palace are among the clubs known to admire McKenna, with decision-makers at Selhurst Park believed to be monitoring his progress closely.

He previously attracted interest from Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion, underlining the esteem in which he is held within English football.

Despite the speculation, McKenna has shown no indication that he wants to leave.

He might find the challenge of surviving in the Premier League while remaining financially limited more intriguing than a new project.

For Palace, McKenna’s ability to build competitive teams on smart recruitment and clear coaching principles makes him an increasingly attractive candidate.

If the Eagles cannot land Andoni Iraola, they should be all over McKenna, who clearly has something special about him.

He can be the high-octane Glasner successor that Palace are crying out for.

The Eagles can strengthen their chances of landing McKenna or any other top coach, for that matter, by winning the Conference League and qualifying for the Europa League.

The allure of leading Crystal Palace into the Europa League might prove too strong to resist.