Ipswich Town head into the summer transfer window with the biggest budget in the club's history, but there will still be limitations on how much they can spend.
Some quality players have been released by Premier League clubs and will be available to move elsewhere without a transfer fee. Alex Jones picks out eight that the Blues could look to bring in before the start of the campaign.
Marek Rodak
Previous club: Fulham
Marek Rodak was offered a trial at Fulham when he was 16. He impressed in their academy and out on loan, particularly during two spells at Rotherham United in 2017/18 and 2018/19.
He was also the Cottagers’ first-choice goalkeeper in 2021/22 when they stormed to the Championship title.
His Premier League minutes have been limited, but there’s no doubt that he’s a talented shot-stopper. At just 27, he’s got a lot of his career ahead of him and is a regular at international level with Slovakia.
Given Ipswich’s current uncertainty in the goalkeeper department, he’s one they might have an eye on.
Scott McKenna
Previous club: Nottingham Forest
Kieran McKenna managing Scott McKenna? Sounds good to me.
No, there’s no relation, but the centre-back was highly rated at Aberdeen and it was seen as quite a coup when Nottingham Forest snapped him up in 2020 for a reported fee of £3 million. He was a regular in their promotion season in 2021/22 and contributed regularly in the Premier League the following campaign.
Forest’s recruitment policy has pushed him away from the City Ground. He was loaned out to Danish Superliga club FC Copenhagen in January and started both games in their Champions League round-of-16 tie against Manchester City.
His value is boosted by the fact that he’s a left-footed centre-back, meaning that he’d add strong competition for Cameron Burgess without requiring a big transfer fee. He’s certainly a suitable candidate and one to watch at the Euros given that he's a regular for Scotland.
Brandon Williams
Former club: Manchester United
Brandon Williams, we hardly knew ye.
The full-back is a familiar name for Town fans, having spent last season on loan at Portman Road. He initially joined Manchester United at the age of nine and worked his way through the academy into the first team.
His loan spell at Norwich City - his only taste of regular Premier League football so far - was fairly disappointing and ended with their relegation to the Championship. However, he impressed in the early days of his time at Ipswich before injuries and illness got in the way.
There are obvious issues which would need to be cleared up, but his value as a free agent is clear for all to see. The Blues are lacking at full-back and his versatility could give their squad depth a real boost.
Japhet Tanganga
Previous club: Tottenham Hotspur
There were once hopes that Japhet Tanganga could become one of the top English defenders, but it just hasn’t worked out that way.
It’s not really down to any fault of his own. He was given opportunities to play at the top level for Tottenham, ending his time there with 50 senior appearances, but it didn’t open up a clear pathway into the starting line-up.
His loan spell at Augsburg was a disaster, ending with him making zero appearances, but his subsequent stint at Millwall was much better. He was one of the Lions’ best players in the second half of last season.
His versatility is a huge plus - he can play as a right-back or a right centre-back. His physicality and his pace would make him a valuable asset for Ipswich, as would his previous experience. Millwall will certainly be keen to bring him back, however, and there might be others too.
Ryan Sessegnon
Previous club: Tottenham Hotspur
Ryan Sessegnon was on my list of potential targets before he was released by Tottenham. His career has come to an unfortunate crossroads, with injuries derailing his momentum and damaging his potential.
Some fans will forget just how good he was at Fulham, leading to his £25 million move to North London. He showed glimpses of real quality at Spurs, as well as Hoffenheim during his loan spell at the Bundesliga club in 2020/21, and a run of consistent football could get him back on track.
Fixing his injury situation would be easier said than done, and there’s no denying it would be a high-risk move. However, it's a similar case to that of Axel Tuanzebe, so offering him a one-year deal with an option for a further year could appeal, giving him the platform to show that he’s capable of staying in the Premier League.
Of course, he can cover Leif Davis’ position at left-back, but his best football at Fulham came when he was playing as a winger in a 4-2-3-1. He could certainly compete with Nathan Broadhead for a place in the the starting line-up, but Ipswich would face a lot of competition to get him.
Jairo Riedewald
Previous club: Crystal Palace
Jairo Riedewald was held in high regard during his time at Ajax, leading to a move to the Premier League in 2017. It didn’t really work out for him at Crystal Palace, yet he stayed in South London for seven years to primarily play a bit-part role.
He was never a regular for the Eagles, albeit that he did feature 34 times in 2020/21. Some of that was down to injury issues, but he ultimately had a lot of competition in his position. Manager Oliver Glasner admitted that was the reason for his release rather than anything to do with his ability.
Ipswich need cover for Sam Morsy and the odds of Lewis Travis coming back seem pretty slim. The chance to stay in the Premier League may be enough to tempt him to Suffolk, even if his role is as an understudy. It’s not like he wouldn’t be used to it.
His versatility would help too, boasting the ability to drop deeper and play as a defender when required.
Steven Alzate
Previous club: Brighton & Hove Albion
Steven Alzate’s journey to the top has been really impressive, jumping from League Two Leyton Orient to Premier League Brighton in 2017.
He made his top-flight debut a couple of years later and has scored some pretty significant goals since then, including a winner at Liverpool to hand the Seagulls their first win at Anfield since 1982.
Regular football was hard to come by and two loan spells at Standard Liege followed. He was a regular for the Belgian Pro-League club for most of last season and has now left Brighton after scoring three goals in 51 games.
It feels like McKenna would be the type of manager to get the best of him, and his ability to play in a deeper midfield role and as a no.10 would see him add good cover. He’d be a strong option to have in the centre of the park.
Jamal Lowe
Previous club: AFC Bournemouth
Jamal Lowe is usually linked with every Championship team under the sun in transfer windows, but what if Town were to bring him in for a Premier League campaign?
Some fans may turn their noses up, and that would be understandable. Granted, he’s only played two Premier League games so far in his career, but he’s shown more than enough at Championship level to warrant an extended run in the top flight.
Take last season‘s loan spell at Swansea City, where he bagged nine goals and three assists in 35 games. Town fans will remember him getting one of each in a standout performance at Portman Road back in November 2023.
This move would likely allow for Ali Al-Hamadi to leave on loan. Lowe would have to prefer life as a third-choice Premier League striker over being a Championship regular, as he’ll undoubtedly get interest from the second tier. His ability to play anywhere in the forward line could catch McKenna’s eye.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel