Exclusive: The likes of Burnley FC and Leeds United tipped to "take a hit" on Ipswich Town star | OneFootball

Sky Sports pundit spoke exclusively to FLW about Omari Hutchinson's future at Ipswich Town following their relegation from the Premier League

Ipswich Town can officially prepare for life back in the Championship for the 2025/26 campaign after Saturday afternoon's chastening 3-0 defeat at Newcastle United confirmed their relegation out of the Premier League at the very first attempt alongside Leicester City and Southampton.

All three sides will be returning to the second-tier of English football after going up last time out, with the rollercoaster ride at Portman Road hitting its first bump following two successive promotions from League One to the Premier League under Kieran McKenna.

The Tractor Boys, much like Leicester and Southampton, have seldom appeared capable of contending to retain their top-flight status but are arguably the best-placed of the trio to plot an immediate return. Typically, though, that will depend on just how able they are to retain some of the prized assets who will be tipped to enjoy instrumental roles in the Championship next season.

Star striker Liam Delap, who has turned heads with an impressive 12-goal haul amid interest from the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United in activating his reported £30 million release clause. The 22-year-old is poised to leave, a reality which Town are powerless to prevent, but they will be fighting to retain the core of McKenna's squad ahead of next term's promotion bid.

Omari Hutchinson is one player at Ipswich who has displayed fleeting signs of real promise and potential in the Premier League. The former Arsenal prodigy signed permanently last summer on a five-year contract in a reported club-record £20 million deal from Chelsea following a hugely-successful loan campaign which saw him register ten goals and five assists to help a second-placed finish in the Championship.

Hutchinson has only managed to tally three goals and two assists this term, finding the back of the net against Manchester United, ex-club Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, but his clear quality and potential coupled with his age could make him an attractive proposition on the market this summer.

Lee Hendrie tips the likes of Burnley and Leeds United to sign Ipswich Town's Omari Hutchinson

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie warned Ipswich of a potential exit for Hutchinson during the off-season.

Described by Hendrie as a "bright spark", Hutchinson has been tipped to emerge on the radar of teams who go up from the Championship into the Premier League.

At the time of writing, of course, those two sides are Leeds United and Burnley, who both sealed automatic promotion more than a week ago and will be eager to get to work to buck the concerning trend of promoted teams going straight back down with a whimper.

Meanwhile, Sheffield United and Sunderland both occupy third and fourth place respectively in the Championship but the final two play-off places are very much up for grabs and could be clinched by any two of Bristol City, Coventry, Millwall, Blackburn Rovers and Middlesbrough ahead of a tantalising final day of second-tier action.

"I think that will [a potential exit] be the case with a lot of the players who have had a taste of Premier League football, Omari Hutchinson being one of them," Hendrie told FLW.

"The likes of Delap, a lot of these players you feel might get an opportunity. I think we saw that last season with Luton, obviously they got relegated and a lot of their players were getting linked away from the football club.

"I think it really dejected the club in so many elements because lots of players were disappointed they couldn't go, and that was a counter-effect on the way Luton's season went.

"Lots of teams now have seen some of these players come up against top Premier League sides and perform, Hutchinson is one of them. Bright sparks and potential, it might be one of the clubs that are going up that might take a fancy and a hit on him.

"He's had a decent season himself and I'm always concerned about teams getting relegated who have key player, because that's when you find they walk out the door as they see potential of being back in the Premier League."

Ipswich Town's Omari Hutchinson could be tempted by Leeds United amid Lee Hendrie claim

Hutchinson has likely shown enough in each of his two campaigns in Suffolk to convince Premier League clubs of his enormous potential. He, much like Ipswich, would have hoped for a more fruitful crusade into the top-flight this term, but the England youth international has emerged from the campaign with certain credit in the bank.

It's easy to see why Hendrie believes that sides taking Ipswich's place in the Premier League for 2025/26 could be encouraged to make a swoop, and Leeds may represent the most attractive destination if Hutchinson intends on leaving the club this summer.

The Whites are set to return as champions and have shown real ambition both on and off the pitch in recent times.

From the proposed Elland Road expansion to reports of a transfer warchest in excess of £100 million to arm Daniel Farke, or whoever is in charge of Leeds come the summer, with the requisite resources to re-establish the club in the top-flight, Leeds have an exciting project and trajectory which many will doubtless want to be a part of.

They are also sure to be keen on sourcing a summer upgrade on Brenden Aaronson and Hutchinson, who is perhaps in the number 10 role behind the striker, could prove a shrewd replacement.

There is nothing concrete just yet, it must be stressed, to say that Leeds are indeed interested in a move for the playmaker this summer. However, he would fit the bill, it's a move that makes a great deal of sense and Ipswich ought to be cautious of sides such as Leeds and Burnley swooping for some of the more impressive assets at McKenna's disposal.