Ex-Chelsea and Man City stars feature in new-look Ipswich XI to inspire Premier League survival
Ipswich Town have begun building their Premier League line-up ahead of their top flight return.
The Tractor Boys finished runners-up in the Championship to Leicester City last season, sealing back-to-back promotion from League One all the way up to the Premier League.
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It’ll be the first time the Suffolk outfit will be playing Premier League football since 2002, back in the days of Matt Holland and Hermann Hreidarsson.
Now, Kieran McKenna is tasked with making the squad he’s brought up from the third tier to be top flight ready - and he’s already made some additions.
Omari Hutchinson was on loan from Chelsea last term, but the Tractor Boys have since broken their transfer record to bring him back to Portman Road, striking a deal worth £22.5million.
The winger was a key part of McKenna’s side that stormed to promotion last term and it’s likely a lot of those players that got them up will keep their spots.
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However, Ipswich are set to introduce a number of new faces to their XI too.
Starting in goal, Ipswich's first choice goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky left the club this summer after failing to agree a new deal and has since become a free agent.
Veteran goalkeeper David Martin has joined as a player-coach, but it’s more likely Christian Walton, who is the only other senior goalkeeper at the club, will be in between the sticks at the moment.
Walton’s last consistent minutes came in League One, though, and Ipswich have been linked with two glovesmen this window, including Fenerbahce’s Dominik Livakovic.
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Brighton’s Carl Rushworth, who starred on loan at Swansea last term, has also been linked. The 23-year-old Seagulls man is unlikely to get Premier League game time with Brighton, so a move to Ipswich would be most logical.
Moving onto the defence, centre-back pairing Cameron Burgess and Luke Woolfenden were mainstays last term.
Ed Sheeran facetimes the Ipswich squad to plan a Premier League promotion party as the players celebrate in the dressing room
But Ipswich have been linked with other central defenders, though, with reports stating the Tractor Boys were keeping an eye on Liverpool’s Nat Phillips.
talkSPORT understands Ipswich are also keen on left sided centre-back, Hull star Jacob Greaves.
Leif Davis has been a hit for Ipswich at left-back, bagging a whopping 21 assists last term as well as two goals.
On the other side of the defence will be right-back Ben Johnson, who joined on a free transfer from West Ham this term.
Massimo Luongo and Sam Morsy are likely to remain in the line-up, with Conor Chaplin - who netted 13 league goals last term - completing the midfield trio.
In attack, Hutchinson is likely to be accompanied by two new faces in Ipswich’s front three.
The former Chelsea man will star on the right wing, whilst Hull’s Jaden Philogene - who netted the ‘goal of the century’ at Rotherham earlier this year - will come in on the left flank.
Everton are looking to hijack this move, but Ipswich are confident the move will materialise, so watch this space.
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Up front is Delap - no, not that one.
Rory Delap’s son, 21-year-old Liam, has been on Manchester City’s books since 2020.
He spent last season at Hull, so would link up well with Philogene.
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The England youth international has scored 12 goals in 68 Championship matches across his loans with the Tigers, Preston and Stoke.
And a £20m permanent deal, could spice up the Ipswich attack ahead of a big season.
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