Speculation regarding Blues boss Kieran McKenna’s future continues with Brighton, Manchester United and Chelsea all reportedly showing interest in the Town manager.

On Saturday, McKenna emerged as the early favourite to succeed Roberto de Zerbi at Brighton and remains the frontrunner in the betting at 6/4 at time of writing.

However, the departing De Zerbi is reported to have recommended fellow Italian and former colleague Francesco Farioli as his successor.

The highly rated Farioli, De Zerbi’s goalkeeper-coach at Benevento and Sassuolo in Italy, is currently boss of Nice and led them to fifth in Ligue 1 this season.

Elsewhere, according to the Evening Standard, Chelsea have sounded out McKenna and Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim's representatives as potential contingencies should Mauricio Pochettino move on this summer.

The ex-Spurs manager is set to hold talks as part of an end-of-season review in the days to come with his future in question.

The Manchester Evening News claims the Red Devils, who were first linked with McKenna last week, have also spoken to the Blues boss’s people regarding a return to Old Trafford should Erik ten Hag depart in the close season.

Should any of those clubs - or someone else - make a move for the Northern Irishman, it’s reported that the compensation due to Town has increased from £4 million to £6 million following the Blues’ promotion to the Premier League.

Asked about other clubs showing interest in the Northern Irishman by Sky News at the end of last week, Blues CEO Mark Ashton responded: “Those are challenges that success will always bring. I’d certainly rather have the challenges of success than the challenges of failure.

“But Kieran’s been great. He signed a new long-term contract last summer and he’s been in the office, he hasn’t had a day off, he’s been working by my side tirelessly on recruitment and planning and analysis and tactics for next season.”

He added: “He’s been key to us, not only is his tactical and technical ability quite incredible but his values and the way he treats people and the way we work as a team has been key and I’m sure Kieran will be excited about pitting his wits against the best coaches in the world.”

Quizzed about potential interest from other clubs and whether his job at Town isn’t yet done following the 2-0 victory over Huddersfield which secured the Blues’ promotion to the Premier League earlier this month, McKenna said: “No, I love it here, it’s a fantastic club, I’m so proud to be the manager of this football club and I’ve worked so hard at it every day, so I give so much of myself and [so have] the people around me for the last couple of years. I’m just so focused on enjoying that journey.

“That sort of speculation’s been there for the last two years, to be honest, and I’ve shown loyalty to the club through that and I’m really pleased that I’ve stuck with it and achieved what we’ve achieved. There’s some big and exciting steps to come for the football club.”

McKenna is expected at Tuesday night’s LMA Awards where he is a strong contender for the Championship honour and perhaps the overall award won by George Burley in 2001.

The Blues boss has already been named the EFL Manager of the Season.

Photo: TWTD

GrasmereBlue added 18:59 - May 20 KmcK isn't going anywhere in my opinion. He seems to me a man of honour and will be determined to prove himself with us in the Premier League. I'm so thankful we never had Social Media in Bobby Robson's day....
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runaround added 19:22 - May 20 At ITFC McKenna is the manager not the head coach. He has pretty much full autonomy on signings, playing style and is in full harmony with the upper management and ownership. Would he have all that at Brighton? Yes they have been above us for the last few years and are established in premier league but have probably reached their ceiling as a club whilst ITFC are still on the way up and have a ceiling at least that of Brighton. I think he will want a lot of guarantees from Brighton before necessarily moving

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bluesince76 added 19:27 - May 20 K mckenna would be foolish to leave now he's just starting out in management learning his craft with us and seeing how far he can go and hopefully re establishing this club at top half of premier league.
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Stato added 20:13 - May 20 It's a massive statement whether he goes to Brighton or stays with us. He knows the budget of both clubs and will have an opinion of the Brighton squad compared to ours. I hope he stays but it damages us on a number of levels if he leaves this summer. Personally I'll give him 100% credit if he leaves us in 12 months time having secured a second season of prem money
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Stato added 20:13 - May 20 It's a massive statement whether he goes to Brighton or stays with us. He knows the budget of both clubs and will have an opinion of the Brighton squad compared to ours. I hope he stays but it damages us on a number of levels if he leaves this summer. Personally I'll give him 100% credit if he leaves us in 12 months time having secured a second season of prem money
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eddiespearitt03 added 20:51 - May 20 Loyalty is not a word you hear very often in the football industry. Ipswich gave Kieran his first managerial post and everything has worked out well with the team around him..Without trying to have a biased opinion, I feel it would be silly to leave this club now. There is plenty of time to bounce around big money clubs . Kieran surely wants to carry on and complete the challenge of keeping Ipswich in the Premiership.

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OliveR16 added 21:01 - May 20 Meanwhile, this can't be helping our recruitment. So you might hope that Kieran would snuff the speculation out at least in private. It's a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy if he entertains these offers because he will be damaging our preseason recruitment at the same time, making it less attractive to stay.
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SquamishBlue added 21:23 - May 20 He's not going anywhere!
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TractorBoySince93 added 21:23 - May 20 Can we please just stop this, put it to bed and tell us!
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bobble added 21:34 - May 20 it will definitely be damaging to morale and team leadership togetherness if this continues..assume it will be sorted soon...
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Edmundo added 21:43 - May 20 If I was KM reading this I think I'd start off flattered then end up insulted that so many fans think he'll act the way he has then just leave. Next season is a free hit for him. Not so Brighton (who are at their peak - only way is down) or a big 6 team. He is far more intelligent and has more integrity than most on here give him credit for.
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ArnieM added 22:13 - May 20 Well it’s notable that there’s no official statement from the club about our manager’s tenure, which frankly, is becoming a tad concerning now.
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DannyITFC added 22:49 - May 20 It’s just speculation at this point nothing more. Although the club needs to make a statement really to silent these daft rumours.
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MickMillsTash added 23:25 - May 20 Ive just bought some socks for my son with Kieran McKenna's face on them So he better not go! It a big big job to keep Ipswich up next year, the 2 other teams who are going up start out better equipped than we do and they are weaker than when they got relegated. If we invest stay up, invest stay up etc we will be a bigger club than Brighton but we are not today. SO is Ashtons budget, package and plan big enough for him to take the risk and stay ?? I really hope so. Would you invest the £100+Mill that was recently put in without having some assurance over McKenna? Come on Kieran think of the socks I've just bought - £15!!

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atty added 23:31 - May 20 Whether or not he goes is a real worrry, but another worry is the impact the uncertainty has in terms of preparation for next season, not least player recruitment/squad building. KMc is a big pull for prospective new players. Also with the window coming this needs to be sorted asap.
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warwickblue added 23:55 - May 20 Please remember that the primary function of betting companies, assisted by the media, is to generate this sort of speculation - to encourage betting and, hence, to generate income. Both we, and TWTD, would be better off maintaining complete media silence until anything is confirmed.
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SpiritOfJohn added 06:34 - May 21 Kieran McKenna "loves it here", so he would a fool to leave regardless of any other offers at this time. He is no fool so he will be staying to tackle the challenge of the Premier League with Ipswich Towm. It is within our power to help to ensure that he continues to "love it here" by continuing to give him our full support in what could be a difficult season, and not get on his back if we lose a few games, or get carried away with all of this media speculation.

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Dissboyitfc added 06:44 - May 21 Mick mills Tash, don't really agree that the 2 sides promoted are nescasarily going to do better, Leicester starting with a points reduction and Southampton promoted via the playoffs having finished some way behind us. Recruitment will be key for the promoted sides! We need this and I believe it will be , sorted asap!
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Dissboyitfc added 06:44 - May 21 Mick mills Tash, don't really agree that the 2 sides promoted are nescasarily going to do better, Leicester starting with a points reduction and Southampton promoted via the playoffs having finished some way behind us. Recruitment will be key for the promoted sides! We need this and I believe it will be , sorted asap!
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blues1 added 07:58 - May 21 Mariner1974. Brighton may hsve been in the pl a few years now, but look at their form the 2nd half of this season. Didn't win a in their last 11 games. Are a club who buys players then sell within a year or two . Yes, at a profit, but thats what they have to do to survive at that level. Dont think thats the type of club that would interest mckenna. Not when he's at a club that doesn't need to sell anymore. Thrnonly way I see him leaving would be if united came in for him. But I don't believe they'd take that risk right now. Cant see there's any way he'd go to Chelsea, with their record of sacking managers.

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Mariner1974 added 08:28 - May 21 Yeh agreed blues1 that Brighton have taken a step back in recent times. Didn't look like De Zerbi knew what his starting XI was near the end. Only ever presents seemed to be Dunk, Gross, Welbeck and Joao Pedro when fit. Still finished 11th in the league though, which I'm sure we'd all be happy with next season. McKenna likes their model. He's talked about them before in an admiring fashion. I don't want him to go. I love the guy. Just trying to look at it from all angles.

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dirtydingusmagee added 08:58 - May 21 K McK has had two brilliant seasons and he could gain as much credit by getting ITFC through next season in Prem he needs to achieve nothing more this term to prove his worth . If he moves to another club he will have demands for more , if he fails to produce those aims he will be seen to have failed.Dose he really need that now ? Imo he would be wise to give it another year at ITFC and then if he feels he needs to move on do so. He is young and his day will certainly come, Survival next year would be huge achievement, bobbing along mid table with Brighton will prove nothing . Man U and Chelsea will have massive demands of him , Time is short with their expectations . REALLY need him to stay ,and get working asap on next seasons team .Transfers are crucial now .

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Robert_Garrett added 09:08 - May 21 Just magic! Keeps Ipswich Town in the headlines every day. Kieran has gone on holiday and can buy the newspapers every day and see he is mentioned. Great PR. Love the man , absolutely brilliant. Keeps the pressure off our stars that everybody wants to buy so come on give us more speculation? Never enjoyed post-season so much!
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Theipswich added 09:10 - May 21 Only place he is going is...on vacation. ...lazy newspaper talk
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Bomber added 09:46 - May 21 Don't read too much into him being the bookies favourite as Ben Bloom says on You Tube odds on manager jobs are a "signal of liability nor probability". I think he will stay with us we will give him the time to prove himself in the Prem & it's unfinished business, If he decides to go next season he will go with my blessing.
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