Ipswich Town join Man Utd and Liverpool in transfer scouting mission | OneFootball

Ipswich sent scouts to watch Midtjylland's penalty shootout loss to Nottingham Forest

Ipswich Town are in the mix for automatic promotion to the Premier League this season.

The Tractor Boys finished 19th in the top flight table in the previous campaign, and are now seeking an immediate return to the division after just one year.

However, they face competition from the likes of Middlesbrough and Millwall, with Coventry City currently leading the way out front in top spot.

The Suffolk outfit will have one eye already on potential targets that could be signed this summer to bolster their chances of surviving in the Premier League, should they get there.

The clubs involved in the top two battle will have to make two plans for their possible summer business until their league status for next season is confirmed.

While Kieran McKenna’s full focus will be on getting the best out of his current squad, the recruitment staff are already getting to work on identifying potential targets.

Ipswich Town scout Midtjylland’s Europa League exit

According to Danish outlet Campo, Ipswich sent scouts to watch Midtjylland’s Europa League second leg clash with Nottingham Forest on Thursday night.

It’s been claimed that a number of Europe’s top clubs were in attendance, with the club losing 2-1 on the night, and suffering elimination through penalties to the Premier League team.

Manchester United and Liverpool both reportedly sent recruitment staff to watch the game, with Dario Osorio linked to both clubs in recent weeks.

Borussia Monchengladbach, Eintracht Frankfurt, Borussia Dortmund and AS Monaco were also understood to be in attendance for Thursday night’s game.

It remains unclear which player or players Ipswich were keeping an eye on, but it’s possible they too could have an interest in Osorio, provided they win promotion to the Premier League.

Midtjylland have caught the eye of some of the biggest teams in Europe with their performances this season, but they have now been eliminated from the Europa League after they missed all three penalties in their 3-0 shootout loss to the Reds.

Meanwhile, Ipswich are currently third in the Championship table, but only two points behind second place Middlesbrough and with a game in hand.

McKenna’s side are still in control of their own destiny with nine fixtures still to play, including a big top of the table clash this weekend.

The Suffolk outfit will host fourth place Millwall on Saturday in a 12.30pm kick-off, with the two clubs level on points before things get underway at Portman Road.

Ipswich will need promotion to compete for top level signings

It’s unclear who Ipswich were scouting on Thursday night, but it is encouraging that work is already being done to narrow down potential signings, even with the uncertainty of their league status.

If they were in attendance to see Osorio, then promotion will be an absolute must in order to compete for his signature given the other clubs that are keeping an eye on him.

If the Tractor Boys want to compete in the market with the likes of Frankfurt, Dortmund and Monaco, let alone Liverpool or Man United, then Portman Road has to be hosting Premier League football.

But Ipswich are still in control of their league position, so it is now up to the players to step up in the coming weeks and deliver automatic promotion for supporters.