Town boss Kieran McKenna believes Gassan Ahadme’s loan return to Burton Albion is the right thing for the 22-year-old at this stage of his career, while he believes Matt Penney’s switch to Charlton is a good move for the left-back and welcomed Corrie Ndaba’s temporary switch to Fleetwood and Tete Yengi’s to Northampton.

Ahadme’s loan back to Burton, from whom he joined the Blues on deadline day in the summer, was the biggest Town story on the final day of the January transfer window.

The Spanish-born Morocco youth international looked unlikely to play much football had he stayed at Portman Road with George Hirst and Nathan Broadhead having been added to the squad.

“I think it was the right thing for Gassan at this stage in his career,” McKenna said. “He has developed well in training with us and had a good experience around the group.

“That would have added to him as a player, but it is also important for him to keep getting minutes.

”He was unfortunate to get quite a big [foot] injury so soon after he arrived — that made it a challenge for him to catch up even further from players who were in a full rhythm and more established in the team.

“So it was difficult for us to get him as many minutes as we would have liked, but we saw his quality in the building when he came to the club and that is why we were happy to have him as a player in the club.

“It was a good opportunity for him to go out for the last 18 league games, I think it is, at Burton to get more minutes, try and make an impact and score some goals and help that team to avoid relegation.

“He started really well [this season for Burton] with some goals [five] and that was part of him getting the transfer.

“I am sure he will look to pick up from where he left off and go onto a club where he already knows the players and the manager and can have a strong end to the season.

“He can keep adding to his experiences and developing as a player and we hope that it works out well for him.”

Regarding Penney, 24, who moved to the Addicks shortly after his half-season loan in Scotland with Motherwell had come to an end, McKenna believes it is a good move for the former Sheffield Wednesday man.

“We think so,” he said. “When the interest was there, Matt was really, really keen to go and when you can see it’s a really good opportunity for him, you don’t want to stop a player in that position.

“A good chance for him. He went straight into the team last weekend, which is a positive and hopefully he can get lots of minutes and help improve the team and give himself a strong second half of the season.”"

Is it a move which could ultimately become a permanent switch? “Who knows? He’s still under contract here, he’s still an Ipswich player. We’re still in communication with him, treating the situation with him as that and we’ll have those conversations with him in the summer.”

Penney's Town deal is up in the summer but with the club having an option for a further season.

Corrie Ndaba, 23, switched a loan at Burton for a spell at Fleetwood in the second half of the season, the Cod Army having shown interest in the Irish U21 call-up in the summer, as TWTD reported at the time.

“These are always decisions that the player has to make ultimately,” McKenna said. “It was ultimately Corrie’s decision that we fully understood and fully supported.

“He has gone to a club that showed a lot of interest in him in the summer as well and I think the interest has remained there since then.

“It is another good experience for him in League One and a chance to play for a League One club and face the challenges they are going to have for the second half of the season. It was something Corrie wanted to do and we fully support him as a club.”

Young Australian striker Tete Yengi moved to Northampton on loan on deadline day and McKenna hopes the 22-year-old can be involved in a promotion push while with the Cobblers.

“That would be great,” he said. “We’ve had a few positive conversations with Northampton over the last few weeks.

“There were a few questions but it was something he was keen on and we, as a club, support it and we hope he will play his first professional games in English football at a team who are doing very well in their league and have scored lots of goals already.

“It’s a really good opportunity for him and hopefully he will get the opportunities to show what he can do.”

In addition to those departures, Tommy Hughes left for King's Lynn on a permanent basis at the end of his short-term deal, while a number of other players made loan switches.

Elkan Baggott moved on loan to Cheltenham having previously been at Gillingham, Matt Healy returned to hometown club Cork City, Cameron Stewart went out to Crusaders in his native Northern Ireland and Edwin Agbaje to Yeovil Town.

Photos: Matchday Images

Ipswichbusiness added 18:34 - Feb 2 Baggott is the one who interests me the most; if he develops the way that we all hope then he could become a very important player for us.
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