Kieran McKenna role in Ipswich Town transfer failure revealed | OneFootball

Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna refused many of the striker options put to him by the recruitment team in the January window.

Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna was very picky over any striker put towards him by the recruitment team, which is a factor in why they failed to bring in a number nine.

The Tractor Boys are looking to secure a top two finish this season, so the January window was always going to be crucial, and the Suffolk outfit managed to complete deals for Dan Neil and Anis Mehmeti.

Whilst they look like great signings on paper, some fans were unhappy that the club didn’t bring in a new striker.

Details emerge on Ipswich Town’s January search for a striker

Ivan Azon and Chuba Akpom have struggled since joining the club on loan in the summer window, with the duo only finding the net twice each this season.

Meanwhile, George Hirst, who has played the most minutes leading the attack, has scored just six times, so it’s understandable that Ipswich were in the market for a new signing.

However, despite plenty of links, the club weren’t able to finalise a deal for any targets, so the trio will be the main options for McKenna until the end of the campaign.

And, the East Anglian Daily Times has provided further details on that striker search, as they revealed McKenna was the stumbling block in certain cases.

They explain that head of recruitment, Mick Court, put ‘numerous’ names to the boss, but only a ‘small number’ were deemed an upgrade on what Ipswich already have by McKenna, with the club unable to bring any of those players in.

As well as that, they state Ipswich were aware before Monday’s deadline that they wouldn’t be bringing in a new striker.

Kieran McKenna must only sanction Ipswich signings that improve the squad

Some will argue that Ipswich simply had to bring in a new striker due to the struggles of their current options in attack.

But, the reality is that McKenna’s approach is the right one. It’s good that the recruitment team were putting players to the manager, but he has to have the final say, and if they couldn’t get someone who would be a definite upgrade to the XI, they were right to move on, as you shouldn't sign a player for the sake of it.

Despite their poor form, Akpom and Hirst are proven at this level, so McKenna must work on finding a way to get them firing over the final months of the season.

Plus, Azon has shown flashes of quality, so Ipswich do have three players with the ability to flourish at this level.

If Ipswich don’t return to the Premier League, the fans will scrutinise this decision, but many observers believe McKenna still has the strongest squad in the league, and it’s now about working with the group he has as they try to chase down Coventry and Middlesbrough.