Kieran McKenna swerved £30m Arsenal transfer blunder & hit Ipswich Town jackpot instead | OneFootball

Ipswich Town dodged a major bullet in the 2024 summer transfer window

Kieran McKenna engineered a remarkable promotion to the Premier League with Ipswich Town in 2024.

The Tractor Boys had spent over two decades outside the top flight, but they made their return with a sensational second place finish just 12 months after coming second in League One.

The Suffolk outfit outlasted Leeds United and Southampton, two teams who had both just come down from the Premier League and had vastly greater resources, to finish just behind Leicester City in the Championship table.

The following summer led to a number of big signings, with the club looking to establish themselves in the first division long-term.

However, Portman Road only hosted Premier League football for one year as the team suffered relegation with a 19th place finish.

But fans will always remember the incredible journey from the third to the first tier under McKenna, and there is still hope that they may yet return to that level under the Northern Irishman again.

Ipswich avoided major £35 million transfer blunder with Arsenal

One signing Ipswich didn’t make when they earned promotion in 2024 was for forward Eddie Nketiah, despite being linked with the Arsenal youngster.

The striker had played a minor role in the Gunners rising to second in the Premier League table that season, contributing five goals and two assists from 27 appearances for Mikel Arteta’s side.

But it was clear that he was a second choice option up front, and he was on the market for a reported £30 million.

However, the Tractor Boys missed out to Crystal Palace and ultimately signed Liam Delap from Manchester City instead.

Nketiah was a promising option for Ipswich as he had shown at Arsenal that he could perform at a Premier League level, and he was still only 25, so he had room to grow as a player.

Yet he has struggled for form during his time at Selhurst Park, with Jean-Philippe Mateta proving a much better choice to lead the line for the Eagles.

Nketiah managed just three league goals in his first season with the London outfit as they finished 12th in the table, and he hasn’t improved much since then either.

The striker hasn’t justified the price paid to sign him, and that would’ve been a big blow for Ipswich if it had been their money instead.

He wouldn’t have been able to make a difference in Ipswich’s chances of survival based on how he’s fared for Palace, so the Tractor Boys should consider that a bullet dodged.

Liam Delap signing worked well for Ipswich despite relegation

Delap was signed from Man City in a deal worth an initial £15 million after a promising loan spell with Hull City in 2023/24.

The striker scored 12 times in the Premier League, and did more than enough to justify the price paid to sign him, even if Ipswich ultimately finished 19th in the table anyway.

McKenna’s side lacked other attacking options that could complement Delap and could contribute alongside him, which proved extremely costly.

Yet his performances still yielded significant interest in the 2025 summer transfer window, which led to him leaving Portman Road after only one year.

Delap signed for Chelsea in a deal worth £30 million, doubling Ipswich’s money after 12 months.

While the club would no doubt have preferred to remain in the Premier League, and potentially keep the striker as well, this still proved an excellent bit of business.

It will make it all the sweeter for the Suffolk outfit that the 23-year-old has been unable to make the jump up to a Champions League calibre side, meaning they likely cashed in at exactly the right time.

The Delap sale helped Ipswich make major signings in the summer, such as Azor Matusiwa, Sindre Walle Egeli and Marcelino Nunez, which could prove key in earning promotion straight back to the Premier League.