Ipswich Town sign £2.1m transfer 'bargain' | OneFootball

Ipswich Town have landed a permanent deal for Cedric Kipre's services following their promotion from the Championship to the Premier League

Ipswich Town have already begun their transfer activity as they vie to ready themselves for next season's Premier League campaign.

The Tractor Boys successfully landed an immediate top-flight return by beating Queens Park Rangers 3-0 on Saturday, ensuring they finished second, one point above third-place Millwall.

Alex Neil's men now have to navigate the play-offs to join Kieran McKenna's side and Coventry City in the Premier League.

In contrast, Ipswich celebrated their automatic promotion with an open-top bus parade on Monday, but McKenna knows he is now strongly challenged with building a squad who can survive in the top flight.

Ipswich Town told why Cedric Kipre agreement is a bargain

Defender Cedric Kipre has been an important asset for the Tractor Boys this term, making 32 Championship appearances.

The 29-year-old, who joined the Portman Road club on loan from French club Reims, became a particularly popular figure among fans of the Suffolk outfit when he scored in October's 3-1 victory over bitter rivals Norwich City.

Ipswich have triggered a £2.1million clause to sign Kipre permanently following their promotion to the Premier League, and will hope the former West Bromwich Albion and Wigan Athletic man can help them survive in the top flight.

Football League World asked our Tractor Boys fan pundit, Adam Wilkin, if this is a bargain for McKenna's side and how he thinks the centre-back will fare in the Premier League.

Wilkin told FLW: "I think £2.1 million for Kipre is definitely a bargain. When the loan deal was organised, I think everyone thought that would be good value for money.

"He had a very strong mid-period of the season, but then did look to have an odd mistake in him towards the end. I think he's got physicality that can suit the Premier League.

"I would say that he'd probably be our fourth-choice central defender in my eyes. I think it is a bargain, but I wouldn't expect him to be our starting centre-half.

"I think he has got a bunch of good attributes, but we've seen towards the end of the season that (Dara) O'Shea and (Jacob) Greaves as a pairing look pretty solid now.

"Definitely a bargain. How much game time he sees next season, I'm not sure."

Ipswich Town must further strengthen defence following Premier League promotion

Following their promotion from the Championship to the Premier League, Ipswich need both depth and quality in abundance to avoid a repeat of the 2024/25 season, when they were relegated from the top flight.

Acquiring Kipre permanently is a good start for McKenna, as it enhances his squad depth, regardless of whether the former Cardiff City player is handed much game time.

However, the Tractor Boys must further invest in their defence to bolster their chances of surviving in the Premier League, rather than avoiding another unwanted Championship return.

As Wilkin alluded to, the current centre-back partnership of O'Shea and Greaves have proven their worth in the Championship in recent weeks, helping their side land an automatic promotion spot.

However, neither the Ireland international nor the former Hull City man were able to help Ipswich stay in the Premier League last time around.

O'Shea has also been relegated from the top flight with both West Brom and Burnley, suggesting that McKenna must acquire a new centre-back ahead of next season, despite the deal to sign Kipre.