Read our 2026/27 season preview for Ipswich Town as the Tractor Boys prepare for a new direction of travel under Gary O’Neil.
It’s been a summer of change at Portman Road after Kieran McKenna brought the curtain down on an ultra-successful five-year spell in charge and the squad has taken on several new faces, including club record signing Emersonn.
The last time Ipswich made it here, they suffered the drop without really putting up a fight; fans will expect more this time around.
Key question
Can O'Neil succeed where McKenna failed and avoid relegation?
Three promotions in four full seasons means that McKenna left Ipswich having guided them through one of the most successful periods in their history.
It’s undoubtedly a tough act for O'Neil to follow.
However, McKenna’s failure to re-establish Ipswich among England’s top-tier affords him the opportunity to create his own legacy at Portman Road.
In previous jobs at both Bournemouth and Wolves, the 43-year-old has proven that he is capable of assembling a side hardy enough to beat the drop, but taking charge of a newly promoted team poses an altogether different challenge compared to snatching the reins of an already-established Premier League outfit.
Fortunately, after years under the steady hands of McKenna, he finds the club in a very stable position.
A strong core containing Dara O’Shea, Azor Matusiwa and Darnell Furlong should mean Ipswich’s floor should remain at a decent enough level and tidy acquisitions in Issa Diop and Abdul Fatawu should help to raise the ceiling of the team.
The 82 goals that they shipped when suffering relegation in 2024/25 tells you all you need to know about what went wrong. O’Neil’s main priority should be to ensure that the backline is in good working order and if he manages to do that then they could make a run for survival.
Key transfer
Kjell Scherpen
While some might look to club-record signing Emersonn as Ipswich’s key to safety, a more important factor is what they do in defence and one aspect of their team that they failed to sort out during their last flirt with the Premier League was the goalkeeper situation.
Across their 38 Premier League games in 2024/25, Arijanet Muric made 18 appearances between the sticks, Alex Palmer, 13, and Christian Walton, another seven.
Just by virtue of signing a goalkeeper that is likely to play 90% of their league games, Ipswich’s defence will produce far more consistent performances than it did two seasons ago.
Standing at 6ft9ins, Dutch shot-stopper Kjell Scherpen will become the tallest Premier League player in history by the time he makes his top-flight debut and he arrives with a lofty reputation having featured at UEFA Champions League level for Union Saint-Gilloise and Sturm Graz in the last two seasons.
The 26-year-old is a reactive, agile goalkeeper who has carved out a reputation thanks to his brilliant shot-stopping abilities that, combined with his height, make him a commanding presence in the six-yard box.
Breakout star
Sindre Walle Egeli
After finding the net just four times in 28 Championship appearances, many Ipswich fans might be scratching their head as to why they paid a then club-record fee of £17.5m on Norwegian winger Sindre Walle Egeli.
However, this sum of money was not forked out for an instant impact, and Ipswich’s recruitment team were effectively placing a bet on the long-term prospects of Egeli’s career.
A left-footed right-winger, Egeli receives the ball with one thing on his mind: beating his full-back. Now, how he achieves this can vary, as the 20-year-old is a fantastic dribbler, but he is also very intelligent when it comes to finding a pass.
With defenders very wary of his threat when coming inside, an overlapping full-back, last season namely Darnell Furlong, arrived on the scene to provide an option heading further forward. A move that allowed the team to progress further up the pitch, faster.
Egeli is still very raw, but the ability is without doubt there. It may still take some time before he becomes a consistent player, however, there have been encouraging signs in preseason under O’Neil. The Norway international grabbed an assist against Conference League finalists Rayo Vallecano in a 3-0 win for Ipswich at Portman Road.
What is a good season?
Avoid relegation
Sunderland and Leeds were the first promoted sides to remain in the Premier League for three years when they avoided the drop in 2025/26, proving that it is extremely challenging for teams arriving from the Championship.
Therefore, the Portman Road faithful would be delighted to see their team retain their top-flight status.
Their business over the summer has been fairly positive – it needed to be if they stand any chance of surviving – addressing key areas of concern between the sticks and at the heart of the defence.
It's hard to expect much more as an Ipswich fan this season - even if they are looking to Sunderland as somewhat of a blueprint for promoted teams.
Bold prediction
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Ellis Statham
Ipswich to beat the drop
Bridging the gap between the Championship and the Premier League is something that so many teams have struggled with in recent years; Ipswich Town know that more than most, relegated upon their return to the top-flight in the 2024/25 campaign.
The fact that they have this experience is helpful however, and they’ve already made some shrewd additions to aid their bid for survival.
In signing Issa Diop they have a player with over 170 games of Premier League experience at their disposal. Daizen Maeda is widely regarded as one of the best pressers in world football and should have no problems adapting to the intensity of the Premier League. Meanwhile, Emersonn became the club’s all-time record signing when joining the Tractor Boys, and his physical prowess will prove beneficial.
The appointment of O’Neil is a significant factor in backing Ipswich to stay up. While Kieran McKenna was, and is highly-regarded in the managerial scene, he lacked top-flight experience upon the club’s promotion to the Premier League and couldn’t convert the success that he had in the second and third tiers.
O’Neil – on the other hand – has managed 88 Premier League games across stints with Bournemouth and Wolves. He knows what is required to avoid relegation, and while it will it will be challenging, they can survive the drop.
