Ipswich Town questioned over ‘cheap’ Kieran McKenna release clause as Crystal Palace lurk | OneFootball

FLW’s Ipswich Town fan pundit has commented on Kieran McKenna’s £8m release clause amidst interest from Crystal Palace.

Ipswich Town can look forward to Premier League football next season after securing an immediate promotion back to the big time.

Despite the nerves and anxiety surrounding the final day, the Tractor Boys put that to one side and swept away Queens Park Rangers at Portman Road, with strikes from George Hirst, Jaden Philogene and Kasey McAteer securing a comfortable 3-0 victory.

Jubilant scenes rang out at Portman Road following the full-time whistle, with the Suffolk-based outfit hopeful that they can establish themselves as top-flight regulars after their instant relegation from the top-flight once making it back there in 2025.

Kieran McKenna has to be given a huge amount of credit for leading this promotion charge, dealing with such high pressure and expectation to get this club back into the Premier League as quickly as possible.

And after recording a second promotion on his CV at Portman Road, interest from Premier League regulars is expected to return.

After Ipswich’s first promotion back to the big time under McKenna, many Premier League clubs sought after his signature, with Brentford, Manchester United, Chelsea and Brighton all linked, but the Northern Irishman remained loyal to pen a long-term contract at Portman Road.

But now, it appears Crystal Palace are making inroads, with the Eagles preparing for life without Oliver Glasner after the Austrian revealed he will be leaving Selhurst Park at the end of the season.

Of course, the vacancy in South London will be very appealing, particularly if the Eagles can go on to secure Europa League football next term by winning the Conference League, with Palace currently the favourites to lift that piece of silverware.

But in an attempt to keep hold of McKenna for the long-term future, Ipswich have reportedly slapped an £8m compensation package on the 39-year-old.

With this in mind, FLW’s Ipswich Town fan pundit has commented on McKenna’s £8m release clause, and whether receiving a fee like that would soften the blow of his potential exit.

Ipswich Town questioned over ‘cheap’ Kieran McKenna release clause

Speaking to Football League World, Ipswich Town fan pundit Adam Wilkin has questioned Ipswich’s decision to only demand £8m for Kieran McKenna, believing release clauses should be closer to £20m, like they demand for some of their first-team players.

Adam told FLW: “I think we should be expecting to gear up for another summer of speculation around Kieran McKenna. Every contract he’s signed has had a bigger release clause and bigger wages.

“With managers it’s hard, as any release clause doesn’t feel big enough compared to some players’ release clauses.

"Even pricing young players, we’re looking at £20m so £8m feels incredibly cheap to me and I don’t think it would cushion the blow at all of losing him.

“He’s so highly respected by the fan base and loved by the majority that any amount of money wouldn’t cover up the loss if he were to leave at the end of this season to a different team.”

Ipswich Town will be desperate to avoid Kieran McKenna exit

Despite the joy felt of securing promotion back to the big time, this summer is expected to be an agonising period for all connected with Ipswich, who will be praying Kieran McKenna doesn’t make an exit from Portman Road.

Of course, McKenna remained loyal to lead Ipswich's first Premier League campaign in 22 years, notably turning down Brentford, Manchester United, Chelsea and Brighton, but he may well be tempted to jump ship to a more established Premier League team now he’s got his name back in the spotlight.

£8m is a rather high sum of money to demand for any manager, but the likes of Crystal Palace may be prepared to pay it anyway if they believe he embodies the ethos of the club, so there’s nothing to suggest that Ipswich are safe despite demanding such a sizeable fee.

Of course, such speculation could disrupt their summer plans for next season too. In order to succeed, Ipswich will need everyone committed and on the same page, so this summer could prove to be a turbulent one.

The summer transfer window is paramount to whether the club can achieve its aim of remaining in the top-flight for years to come, but there is a realistic fear that this may have to be led without McKenna at the helm.