Mark Ashton drops Ipswich Town transfer hint - Sunderland and Leeds named | OneFootball

Ipswich Town are preparing for life back in the Premier League after sealing second in the table

Ipswich Town are back in the Premier League after their 3-0 win against QPR on the final day of the season.

The Tractor Boys sealed second place in the Championship, finishing one point ahead of Millwall in third.

Goals from George Hirst, Jaden Philogene and Kasey McAteer sealed a comfortable victory against the Hoops to confirm their return to the top flight.

Kieran McKenna will be looking to build a team capable of surviving in the division beyond one year, with the club coming 19th in the table 12 months ago.

It could be a busy summer ahead at Portman Road, with the Suffolk outfit keen to cement their place in the Premier League long-term.

CEO Mark Ashton is also likely to be heavily involved in their recruitment process, with a number of potential incomings on the horizon in the upcoming transfer window.

Mark Ashton opens up on Ipswich’s change in approach to the transfer market

Ashton has cited the examples of Nottingham Forest, Sunderland and Leeds United as one to follow for Ipswich as they consider a change in approach to their recruitment strategy compared to their 2024 promotion to the Premier League.

He has made it clear that the Tractor Boys intend to be front-footed in their approach to bringing in signings, and that McKenna will be backed in the market in order to bolster their hopes of survival.

"The Championship is brutal, but the Premier League is the best and toughest league in the world for a reason,” said Ashton, via Talksport.

"It won't be easy, but I think you have to look at clubs like Brentford, Brighton, what Sunderland have done this year, Leeds have done, Nottingham Forest have done, that does give you hope.

"I think we'll have to take a different approach to it this year, particularly around player and talent recruitment.

"But we'll be front-footed, investors have already said they want to back to the hilt and we'll go again."

Ipswich won just two of their last six games of the campaign, as they crawled over the line ahead of Millwall to claim second in the table.

McKenna’s side finished 11 points adrift of league winners Coventry City, who stomped away with the title under Frank Lampard.

Both clubs will now be planning for next season, with their eyes set on improving the squad in order to aid their survival hopes.

Ipswich were only capable of coming 19th in the table in their last Premier League outing, coming straight back down at the first attempt.

But McKenna has been able to guide the club back to the top flight at the first time of asking, despite enduring a campaign of ups and downs.

Both Ipswich and Coventry will discover their first Premier League opponents when the full fixture list will be announced on 19 June.

The transfer window will open on 15 June, as the two clubs get to work on lining up deals in what could be a busy summer ahead.

Ipswich must learn from their mistakes to survive in the Premier League

Ipswich have done well to bounce back from relegation to go straight back up, and the experience of their previous promotion should now prove very useful this summer.

McKenna and Ashton now know what to expect in the top flight, and they must learn from their past mistakes if the club are going to survive.

The Premier League can be brutal for newly-promoted teams, but Sunderland and Leeds have both shown this year what can be achieved with the right strategy.

Being aggressive in the transfer market may be necessary in order to compete at this level, and Ipswich being willing to spend is a sign they know what needs to be done to cement their place at this level long-term.