The player Ipswich Town should've hit the jackpot on - Bristol City stole Tractor Boys' millions | OneFootball

Adam Webster's move from Ipswich to Bristol City paled in comparison to his switch to Brighton 12 months later.

Ipswich Town missed out on a potential windfall of £20 million when they sold Adam Webster to Bristol City a year before his big move to Brighton.

It was reported in the summer of 2018 that the defender made the switch to Ashton Gate in a deal worth £3.5 million.

The centre-back signed a four-year deal with the Robins, moving from one Championship side to another after an impressive year in the second division with the Tractor Boys.

In two seasons with the Suffolk outfit, he went from Portsmouth to Bristol City off the back of 51 league appearances and being a key part of the side rising from 16th to 12th in the Championship table.

Ipswich cashed in to make a tidy profit, but if they had remained patient and waited one more year then it’s very possible they could’ve earned a much bigger chunk of change, but instead it was Bristol City who pocketed millions.

Ipswich Town’s Adam Webster, Bristol City mistake

The £3.5 million earned for Webster looked like solid business at the time for Ipswich, all things considered.

He had become an important part of the side after two seasons, but an offer worth £3.5 million looked well worth enough to let him go, particularly as he had only been signed from Portsmouth for a fee understood to be £750,000, so it represented a strong profit.

The defender had performed well at Portman Road and a seven-figure sum for a defender in 2018 was certainly a decent amount of money for a Championship club, and it was difficult to suggest he was so important that it was the difference between a top half finish and relegation from the division.

Webster was a key player for Ipswich during the first-half of his debut 16/17 season, starting 21 times for Mick McCarthy's side, before an ankle injury sidelined him for the second-half of that campaign.

Niggling injuries would also disrupt his second season at Portman Road too, as he only managed to make 28 Championship appearances in the 17/18 term, with his 25 starts to his name across those games further highlighting just how important a player he was for the Tractor Boys.

Therefore, given his injury issues, banking the fee they did for Webster seemed like a good deal for the club at the time, but without him in the squad, Ipswich fell from potential play-off contention to relegation to League One.

The Tractor Boys suffered a horrendous 18/19 campaign, finishing 24th in the table, while Webster helped Bristol City finish eighth in the second tier in his debut season at Ashton Gate.

But, while Ipswich were preparing for life down in League One, the centre-back was on the receiving end of an offer worth a reported £20 million from Brighton.

One player wasn’t going to be all the difference between finishing 24th and eighth, but it’s hard not to imagine how different things could’ve been for the Tractor Boys had they kept hold of Webster for one more year.

If he stays and plays a role in keeping Ipswich in the Championship, and Brighton offer them the £20 million sum, then it’s a whole other world for the club compared to what actually happened.

What made the Suffolk outfit’s relegation all the worse was the fact that bitter rivals Norwich City earned promotion to the Premier League at the same time, even clinching top spot in the Championship in the process.

Adam Webster has thrived at Brighton - How Ipswich would love to turn back transfer clock

Both Ipswich and Bristol City supporters won’t be surprised by how well Webster has done during his time at Brighton.

The defender has enjoyed a strong career in the Premier League, proving himself as an important part of the team under managers such as Graham Potter and Roberto De Zerbi.

Game time under Fabian Hürzeler has been harder to come by, but he remains one of the more experienced members of the squad at the Amex.

Webster has played at Wembley Stadium in the cup semi-final for Brighton, as well as in the Europa League, making the £20 million move worthwhile for all parties.

It did work out for Ipswich in the end as well, with Kieran McKenna’s appointment in late 2021 drastically changing their fortunes.

However, Ipswich will always wonder what might’ve been if they had decided to keep Webster instead of cashing in on him for £3.5 million.

What looked a great deal at the time ended up being quite measly within just 12 months, with Bristol City reaping the true rewards of Webster’s development as a player.

The Portman Road club could be forgiven for thinking that the Robins effectively stole their fortune, which could’ve helped bankroll a much greater start to the 2020s than they really endured.