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McKenna: There Are Still Areas Where We Feel We Need to Add - Ipswich Town News

Town boss Kieran McKenna refused to be drawn on the Blues interest in Chelsea striker Armando Broja, who is close to joining on loan, or Sunderland’s Jack Clarke, but confirmed he wants to strengthen in forward areas.

Quizzed on Broja, whose season-long loan is expected to be rubber-stamped at some point today, McKenna said: "There is nothing confirmed yet, so until there is any confirmation I still think that is a little way away, so until that point there is no reason to comment on it really.”

The Blues boss, at his afternoon press conference, wasn’t directly questioned on Clarke, for whom Town have made a £15 million plus add-ons bid, or any other target but was asked whether he is looking for more options going forward out wide and at the centre of the defence.

As TWTD revealed last week, Sheffield United centre-half Anel Ahmedhodžić is a player strongly interesting the Blues, a deal which is likely to cost around £12 million with talks understood to be ongoing.

"There are still some areas that we feel like we want to add to and the forward areas are one of those,” McKenna said.

"We know that with the level of the league and how we operate we need great depth in those areas.

"We're a team who probably made more forward substitutions than anyone last year. Pretty much every game, the front four who started wouldn't finish the game, and the forwards who were on the bench would have significant minutes.

"So we want to be really strong in those areas and have good depth in those areas we want to add different qualities that we think can help us be successful in the Premier League. 

"We are continuing to look at that and on top of that, we have had injuries to George Hirst, to Nathan Broadhead and now to Wes Burns, and none of those injuries are minor injuries, so that increases the need. So, we're still looking to improve in certain areas in the forward areas as well.

"But overall the squad’s progressing well. We're much better in numbers and in depth, and in strength than we were a few weeks ago, and I think the squad's coming together well.

"Hopefully, we can make a couple of more really good additions over the next however many days are left of the transfer window and then we'll have the whole group together and we'll have an international break, and we can really look forward to working with that group and building the relationships and the connections in the team and setting ourselves up to have a strong season.”

Broja’s signing and any further additions will take Town’s squad size beyond the 25 limit for players over 21 and McKenna expects there to be departures.

Striker Freddie Ladapo appears to be one of those who will move on on a permanent basis, while other players could depart on loan.
"I’d imagine so, we’ve not spent too much time having those discussions yet as a club,” when asked about exits of those on the fringes.

"We know that there will be movement both ways, I would imagine in the next days coming up to the transfer window.

"That’s something we’ll discuss once we get through the weekend and the Man City game and we have a cup game next week, then we’ll look at things in the run-in into the window and make sure we’re as strong as we can be for a big season.”

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