Ipswich Town should capitalise on West Ham player news ahead of EFL return | OneFootball

As they prepare to return to the Championship, Ipswich Town should look at adding Danny Ings to their squad following his departure from West Ham.

As Ipswich Town prepare for a return to the Championship, the Tractor Boys appear well set to attack the second-tier, but they will want a few additions to their squad - and one man that would be a shrewd pick-up is former England international striker Danny Ings.

The Tractor Boys gained back-to-back automatic promotions to the Premier League under Kieran McKenna, and it was always expected to be a step-up too far too quickly in terms of avoiding relegation this season, but they have often remained competitive.

Their transfer business saw them recruit some of the stars of previous Championship seasons, and they are unlikely to lose too many of their key players in this summer’s transfer window.

However, one player’s departure seems almost an inevitability at this stage, with Liam Delap said to have a £30 million release clause as both Chelsea and Newcastle United, among others, are queuing up for a crack at signing the striker.

With Delap's expected sale, Ipswich will want to bolster their attacking options, and the experience of Ings could well prove crucial as they seek an immediate return to the top-flight next season.

Ipswich Town should target Danny Ings deal - he still has plenty to give at his age

At the age of 32, albeit turning 33 in pre-season, Winchester-born Ings may well believe he still has something to offer to a Premier League club, let alone a side set to challenge in the Championship.

He has notched 72 Premier League goals in what has been an unfortunately injury-hit career and, as recently as the 2022/23 season, he scored eight goals in just 15 starts for Aston Villa and then West Ham United.

Having been released by the Irons this summer alongside Lukasz Fabianski, Vladimir Coufal and Aaron Cresswell, Ings is available on a free transfer and would surely be someone of good value to a just relegated side.

An ability to impact games off the bench as well as being keen to start as many games as possible in the grueling 46 matches of a Championship campaign, Ings’ overall profile as well as quality make him stand out as a candidate to rotate with George Hirst next season.

Ipswich Town's squad is ready-made for the Championship; Danny Ings would add more experience

As well as his top-flight quality, Ings would provide an extra experienced option to an already strong and exciting Ipswich squad, of which the bulk of the team that gained promotion just a couple of years ago remains.

They also have standout stars from Championship seasons of the past, such as Jacob Greaves, Jaden Philogene, Jack Clarke and Sammie Szmodics, so an almost all-star Championship squad could be in place at Portman Road.

A few places they will surely seek to strengthen may be in midfield, but the first priority must be to replace Delap as well as perhaps providing extra cover in the final third and Ings would represent an ideal challenger to the likes of George Hirst and Nathan Broadhead.

One thing that Ipswich have a lot of is players that are in their early to mid-20's who perhaps still have development left to reach their peak, but it's not exactly filled with individuals who could be considered as dressing room leaders.

Of the players definitively under contract for next season, only five are aged 29 and over, with Sam Morsy perhaps being the standout when it comes to having been there and done it at EFL level, but Ings possesses the know-how of a level above, and he could provide Ipswich with a knowledgeable figure at the top end of the pitch.