Ipswich Town transfer update ft ex-Burnley star will surely annoy one player | OneFootball

Ipswich Town defender Elkan Baggott must be worried by the Tractor Boys' interest in ex-Burnley star CJ Egan-Riley, now of Marseille

Ipswich Town are already putting the building blocks in place as they vie to strengthen their squad after sealing their immediate Premier League return.

Cedric Kipre's loan move to the Tractor Boys became a permanent deal once Kieran McKenna's men won promotion, but the Suffolk outfit have more work to do.

The Portman Road club learned how tough the Premier League is when they were relegated back to the Championship alongside Southampton and Leicester City in 2024/25.

Ipswich will not want to experience that fate once more next term, and consequently have to add more quality to their ranks in all areas of the pitch.

Ipswich Town defender must be frustrated by Tractor Boys interest in ex-Burnley man CJ Egan-Riley

McKenna has been able to rely on high-quality Championship defenders throughout his side's promotion-winning campaign, including Jacob Greaves, Dara O'Shea, and the aforementioned Kipre.

The Tractor Boys boasted the joint-second-best defensive record in the second tier this season, conceding just two more goals than champions Coventry City.

Ipswich successfully maintained two clean sheets in their last three Championship games, epitomising their impressive defensive exploits.

However, one Tractor Boys defender who hasn't had an enjoyable campaign this term is Elkan Baggott, who made just two appearances across all competitions, both of which came in the FA Cup.

Baggott hasn't featured for McKenna's side since their 1-0 defeat to Wrexham in the cup on 13 February, having been named as an unused substitute for Championship clashes with Sheffield Wednesday, Millwall, and Birmingham City.

Meanwhile, as reported by French outlet Foot Sur 7, Southampton and Ipswich are both keen on a deal for CJ Egan-Riley.

Amid injury issues, the English centre-back has made just 16 appearances across all competitions for Marseille this term, but he previously proved his worth with Burnley.

Egan-Riley was a key man as the Clarets won promotion from the Championship in 2025, but opted to move to Marseille, rather than remaining with the Lancashire club to help them in the top flight.

If Ipswich beat Southampton in the race for the 23-year-old's signature, it will spell bad news for Baggott, who will have already been concerned by how little game time he could earn in the Premier League next term, having already been handed no minutes in the Championship.

Elkan Baggott should now push for Ipswich Town exit

Baggott has always struggled for game time at Ipswich throughout his senior career, and has consequently spent time on loan with King's Lynn Town, Gillingham, Cheltenham Town, Bristol Rovers, and Blackpool over the years.

The 23-year-old made 20 appearances for Blackpool last season, and would have hoped that the Tractor Boys' relegation to the Championship could have led to more game time for him.

However, the Indonesia international hasn't featured for Ipswich in the second tier, with O'Shea, Greaves, and Kipre all above him in McKenna's pecking order.

The addition of Egan-Riley would only further reduce Baggott's game time, meaning that he should push for an exit this summer, either on loan or permanently.

Baggott is under contract with the Tractor Boys until the summer of 2028, but remaining at Portman Road through to the end of his deal would likely prove damaging to his development.

Egan-Riley could prove to be a strong signing for Ipswich, but a by-product of the deal is that the Indonesia international may become so annoyed that he wants to leave.