Blues manager Kieran McKenna believes Town’s recruitment leaves the club in a “very, very strong position” going into next season.

With the Blues almost certainly going down to the Championship, star striker Liam Delap looks certain to move on with Chelsea and Manchester United the leading contenders to trigger his £30 million relegation release clause.

Centre-half Cameron Burgess is understood to be interesting La Liga side Girona, while Axel Tuanzebe, like the Australian international, is out of contract in the summer, although with the Blues having spoken to them both regarding new terms.

While there may be interest in other members of the squad, Town seem likely to keep hold of most of those currently at Portman Road with McKenna feeling the business which has been done since promotion has put the club in a positive situation whichever division they’re in next season.

“I think coming up, the position we were in in the summer, one of our priorities had to be investing in the squad, but that we were protected for the future,” he said.

“People can talk about our net spend [more than £130 million over the season] being quite high, but our net spend in the decade before that is probably from a Premier League perspective something amounting to zero.

“Our money in the summer was spent on a mixture of young, talented players where you pay a premium but where you know there’s potentially a very high return in terms of developing those assets and players who have done well in the Championship.

“In essence, I think the club has been really driven and ambitious in the summer but has protected the long-term future of the club because as a newly promoted team the division it is hard and for a newly promoted team on our journey it was always going to be very hard, so it was very important not to do anything reckless or anything naive which could leave the club in a difficult position in the next few years.

“On the contrary, I think the work that’s been done leaves the club in a very, very strong position going into next season, irrespective of what division we’re in.”

Meanwhile, links with Sheffield United striker Ryan One are understood to have little to them, the 18-year-old previously having been mentioned in connection with Town in January, while Blades manager Chris Wilder says the Scotland U21 international is very much in his plans.

TWTD

trevski_s added 17:19 - Apr 11 McKenna spot on once again. You have to imagine when McKenna and Ashton were looking at signings for this season they already had the thought of relegation in the mind and you can imagine with each potential signing the question about relegation was asked to make sure the players were for the club and not just for the Premier League. Will some players leave? They probably will, would be weird seeing a whole summer transfer window with no one moving in either direction. Essentially this summer the club had to build for both the Championship as well as fighting in the Premier League where as if we had a second season in the Championship, we would have focused more on strengthening the Championship squad we built in League 1 and then look building the Premier League squad similar to how we did in McKennas 2nd season in League 1. I believe McKenna and Ashton did an amazing job with some of the signings they got in but I think maybe it was just too many in one go

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Leejames99 added 17:54 - Apr 11 It was pretty clear they planned for Championship recruitment wise, got the ground and Training Ground Prem ready, will make a profit on Delap (I still think he will have a time clause on release deal of 2 seasons time will tell be great if there is . We now recruit again, midfield is priority , pray Cajuste stays. Another top striker. All good. I hope for West Ham game the lads from League 1 all play together so the fans can thank them. Hope Morsy gets a Saudi Contract. Walton might go to West Brom or similar. Hopefully Burgess and Tunazabe stay Broadhead and Woolfenden maybe Hirst but I think he might go to Rangers or Aberdeen or similar won't want to warm bench another season and I don't fancy the worry of a 7 goal a season striker getting us up we need a prolific striker if Delap goes and maybe a Danny Ings would be a shrewd move on a free and could do a Chris's Woods. At least we will get to see Pirtman Road rocking again, this season has done the club no damaged just put us in a better position

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gsoly added 18:06 - Apr 11 'Hirst might go to a Rangers or Aberdeen or similar.' What are we doing here.
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MickMillsTash added 18:17 - Apr 11 Aberdeen could not afford Hirst - it was just a few years ago they lost a striker to Salford. Rangers are in a mess unless they get Champions league, which they won't. Danny Ings is good but a crock and expensive. I was hoping McKenna might have elaborated on the off filed recruitment team - next season we are going to need a centre mid or 2, a striker if Delap goes - Hirst is injured too often AND I'm not confident in at least 2 of the keepers - Hladky coming back for 3 promotions on the spin?

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grinch added 18:26 - Apr 11 Would not say his recruiting has been that good reeally you can count cajuste as a positive but he will be gone Philips gone Delap gone possibly Oshea gone they have been good with townsend others Greaves Philogene Hutchinson Clarke Taylor not made the grade at all not good business it has been said before we should have looked further than UK we now have to rely on players who should have gone. I think we are going to have a shock teams will want to beat us and this talk of automatic return with a team who havent won a game for ages it becomes a havit we might find we are in yhat league for a few seasons before we make a return. McKenna wont have teams lining up like last season as his stock is shot so he needs to build his reputation back up as it isnt good after his failure this year spending more money than nearly all teams in UK and ending up in bottom 3

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armchaircritic59 added 19:01 - Apr 11 And that ladies and gentlemen is exactly what I've been saying for many months. The squad was built with one eye on the possibility of a return to the Championship, not just a very short one season escapade. It would have been insanity not too, we've been in financial peril before, don't want it again.
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Tedray added 20:07 - Apr 11 I am afraid that I had to rub my eyes at this headline.Recruitment has been pretty terrible. The midfield seemed to have been an afterthought and in general the new recruits lacked physique and robustness. The signing of several players at considerable cost seems at present a big mistake and it looks unlikely that their cost will ever be recouped.In addition rumours are circulating that (and if) the sale of Delap happens it will be at half his proper valuation, something seems wrong here. As for the manager who is the biggest part of the jigsaw is it really his decision to make.Our American owners are very quiet at present.........

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darkhorse28 added 20:44 - Apr 11 I’m really starting to worry about KM, I know all managers spin and media is just a game, and a circus at times, but I worry he actually believes this nonsense. What has 10 years spending got to do with anything, that’s not how PSR or football work. We spent a vast sum on EFL players, and he’s, many are young players, but none of them look good enough, and with PSR rules, the two that are, won’t be here. We’ll sell Delap for half his market value, and because of that Hutchinson will find we can get any profit from a deal. We don’t have a single other player we bought that is good enough, or will be good enough with another 12 months coaching. Have the group improved under KM in this 12 months, are we more competitive now than in August? .., we have Burns, Ognenne, Hutchinson, Johnson, Chaplin, Broadhead, Clarke, Sammie, Taylor, Philogene .., all which are a huge amount of resource, all good EFL players, not one of which is anywhere near the required or ever will be.., Phil and Hutch, possibly, but way short at the moment.., and quite simply the financial mess means they won’t be here…, we don’t get a 10 year PSR.., we get 3 years the same as everyone, and we can’t invest even if promoted, because we lose our league one season, and replace it with a season where we have the manager a champions league contract, and spent bet £130 million, on a long list of players not good enough.., to even intimate that Greaves and Muric et al will ever be EPL quality, is to take supporters for granted. And treat them like completely emotionally invested idiots…, anyone can see they won’t ever be good enough, and we will struggle to move them on.., it’s pure deflection.., and some journalists need to ask some honest questions, especially around the impacts of this years spending on PSR.., it’s like a collective head burying in the sand moment.., which suits Ashton and KM, but will hit many fans really hard when the penny drops.., we have a significant amount of profit to find this summer, and moving players out, isn’t a KM strength. Sigh.., still, at least we get to see Cameron Humphrey’s back home.

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BuckieBlue added 21:13 - Apr 11 Mick Mills Tash, Re. your Aberdeen comment, not saying they could afford GH (and I would think he'd fancy staying at PR, especially if post-LD) but they've upped their investment these past two seasons, not being out bid by the Salfords now!
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Leejames99 added 22:36 - Apr 11 Town are in a great position see below - Muric Greaves Davis Phillogene Szmodicks All Championship team of year last 2 seasons but its combined goals at that level which is incredible Phillipgene 12 G and 6 A J Clarke 15 G 4 A Szmodics 33 G 6 A Delap 5 G 2 A Hutchinson 10 G 6 A Hirst 7 G 6 A lol Chaplin 13 G 9 A Broadhead 13 G 4 A Ogbene 4 G 4 A 4 That's 112 goals and 43 assits between them Safe to say we will be okay for goals if everyone plays in right position. Let's say Delap and Omarigoes Burgess and Tunazabe stay plus the obvious ones like Burns, Morsy, Taylor, Davis go/released Our team without signings except Cajuste could be Palmer Tunaazabe Greaves O'Shea Townsend Cajuste Szmodicks Chaplin 10 Phillogene Right J Clarke Left Hirst That's with no signings which their will be but that is some 11 and then you have H Clarke, Humphries, Woolfenden, Ogbene, Broadhead, Muric, Al Hamadi on bench With new signings wevshould be more than good enough to bounce back. Below is correct according to financial reports. Overall, Ipswich Town appears to be in a healthy financial position thanks to recent investment and a clear strategy for sustainable growth. While past losses and the need to catch up with Premier League rivals present challenges, the club's focus on strategic investment and fan support suggests a commitment to long-term financial stability,

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Leejames99 added 22:38 - Apr 11 Delap, Davis, any league 1 lads will all make profit that's why I think Hirst may go.
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Leejames99 added 00:55 - Apr 12 Muric is statically Ipswich Towns best shot stopper and experienced goalkeeper. No more say on that you don't rate, like many others, but since his first game his fate was sealed and only mistakes not saves remembered For the Muric tunnel vision and not being a good ambassador ' here is just a few players fined or banned for driving offences Greenish Rashford Fernades (Enzo) Harry Mcguire Joelinton List is endless Give the guy a break

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Tedray added 10:37 - Apr 12 Dear Lee , kindly give us all a break from your fixation with Muric.It must be well past the time to put all this to bed and you know, there are other things in life. God Bless.
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blues1 added 11:15 - Apr 12 Robsonwark. As always spouting rubbish. Miric is a,good keeper but has a mistakes in him for sure. But has only cost us 6 points this season. Davis has cost us a lot more, yet ur not slagging him off are you? Fact is, all the keepers have made errors, so clearly there's another underlying reason for that. Likely the fact the defence/midfield have put them under pressure which will inevitably lead to errors. As for the motoring offences? So what? Hardly the 1st footballer to be guilty of a motoring offence. Gary Croft, here for instance, was sent to prison for similar motoring offences back in 2000. Fans still stu

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blues1 added 11:19 - Apr 12 Stuck behind him. But then, we didn't have the toxic fans we have nowadays. They did something wrong and were rightly punished for it. Has nothing to do with us. Do I think Muric will be here next season? Think it's unlikely personally. Think Palmer will be number 1, and don't see us keeping him to be back up, taking his wages into account.
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Leejames99 added 20:32 - Apr 12 @tedray just sticking up for him, so frustrating that the lad and Phillogene get abuse, yet nothing van be said about league 1 lads, real shame for a young lad to come to Ioswich and suffer such abuse, I hope if he does stay he proves fans wrong, not that he needs too best stats. As for Phillogene he will be a hero next season, can't wait for new squad to evolve. I
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