Ipswich Town backed to sell 'quality Championship player' Jack Taylor - His time at Portman Road is 'coming to an end' | OneFootball

Ipswich Town's Jack Taylor faces an uncertain future as he has struggled to get in Kieran McKenna's team this season.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Ipswich Town may look to sell Jack Taylor in the upcoming transfer windows, as the midfielder struggles to get game time under Kieran McKenna this season.

The Republic of Ireland international joined the Tractor Boys in the summer of 2023, and he played a key role as Ipswich defied the odds to win promotion to the Premier League in his first season.

He would make 33 Championship appearances for the club in that memorable 2023/24 campaign, scoring twice and providing an assist along the way, before going on to make 32 appearances in the top-flight the following year.

Yet, the current campaign has been much harder for the 27-year-old, with Jens Cajuste joining the club on a permanent basis, whilst Azor Mutusiwa and Marcelino Nunez joined the club in the summer, which has knocked Taylor down the pecking order.

Jack Taylor facing an uncertain Ipswich Town future - It's "time for him to move on"

As a result, the former Peterborough man has not featured since the end of August, having made just four league appearances so far, which is sure to be a source of frustration for the player.

With Taylor’s contract expiring in the summer, although the club do have an option to extend it further, there will be question marks over his long-term future at Ipswich, as the January window could be the ideal time to cash in.

And, when quizzed on whether Taylor should be sold by Football League World, our Ipswich fan pundit Adam Wilkin admitted an exit could suit all parties, but he was clear that the club should still get a ‘decent’ fee for someone who has proven himself at this level in the past.

“Taylor is an interesting one because he has never really nailed down a starting role.

"I think that’s largely because he doesn’t fit the way our midfield is set up. He would be better in a midfield three, which we’ve never played with.

“He likes to drift into the ten role, and he’s more of an attacking midfielder. He has definitely worked on his defensive discipline, but I can’t see him ever nailing down a starting spot in the midfield.

"Even when we had Sam Morsy and Massimo Luongo, he couldn’t get in, and now we’ve arguably upgraded in both strength and depth there, so I think it’s time for him to move on.

“Taylor is still a quality Championship player, so I think we could get a decent fee for him. I think we paid quite a hefty fee for him from Peterborough, so I think it would be right for him to move on, whether that’s in January or the end of the season.

“Given the ownership ambitions, we will once again look to strengthen in the January window, and we’ve seen in previous seasons that adding another four or five players can really get you over the line.

“Having a fourth quality midfielder of the level of Matusiwa, Nunez and Cajuste could well be an area we look to invest in. So, it feels like Taylor’s time at Portman Road is coming to an end.”

Kieran McKenna will not want to weaken his Ipswich Town squad in January

You would understand why Taylor may want to leave, as there’s no doubt that he has the ability to play at this level, and not even getting a minute on the pitch in the past five weeks leading up to the October international break will be frustrating.

But, competition for places is fierce at Portman Road, and the reality is that the three players ahead of Taylor right now are all excellent options, so good players have to be left out.

It’s the same all over the pitch, and Ipswich go into every game with a bench that is packed full of quality Championship players.

Yet, even if Taylor wants to leave, McKenna will not want to weaken the group, as he knows just how demanding this division is, and one injury will change everything, and Taylor will then be involved a lot more regularly.

So, if he does go, he will need to be replaced, whether that’s in January or next summer.