Ipswich Town have come to the end of another fascinating summer transfer window, with the deadline slamming shut for clubs all across Europe until January.
This summer has been the first that has been overseen by manager Kieran McKenna following his appointment back in December of last year.
While it may not have been quite as hectic as the summer of 2021 when 19 new players were signed, there was still lots to ponder over as plenty of player movement took place in both directions.
In all, the Blues recruited nine new first-team additions while there were a plethora of exits too, both permanent departures and temporary ones.
Here is an assessment of how successful Town have been in the market over the last few months.
Incomings
Freddie Ladapo
Rewind right to the start of the summer and Ipswich made their first summer signing in striker Freddie Ladapo.
We were still in May when this deal came about after the frontman had left Rotherham United following the expiration of his contract.
Ladapo, who signed a three-year deal, admitted McKenna was a significant influence on his decision to join the club.
Speaking on the 29-year-old, McKenna said: "He knows where the back of the net is, and we're delighted to have him on board. He wants to be a part of our project here. He has certainly bought into the project."
Town's new number nine has contributed well so far this season but has struggled to find the net as he still awaits his first league goal of the season.
Ladapo got off the mark in Ipswich blue in the EFL Trophy in midweek. Hopefully, that can spark a run of goalscoring form in a man who signed with a reputable track record.
Dominic Ball
The second name through the door, arriving in early June, was former Queens Park Rangers midfielder Dominic Ball on a two-year contract.
Another smart free transfer, Ball can operate as both a defensive midfielder or can slot in, if necessary, at centre-back.
The 27-year-old, who was coached by McKenna as a youth player at Tottenham Hotspur, brings experience along with defensive grit and physical strength to the Town midfield.
Upon signing, Ball said: "This is a club with real ambition and I am delighted to be here.
"The first thing the fans should expect from me is hard work. I will give it my all here and I want nothing more than to help the club get promoted."
Ball made his debut for the club in the EFL Trophy in midweek after missing the start of the season with an ankle injury.
He already looks to be providing strong competition for existing midfield options Sam Morsy and Lee Evans.
Greg Leigh
The third and final free transfer picked up before the start of pre-season was left-back Greg Leigh.
The Jamaica international signed a two-year contract following his release from fellow League One side Morecambe.
Left-back was one of the key positions Ipswich targeted at the beginning of the window and Leigh brings physicality and defensive know-how to the Town backline.
Leigh fits the McKenna mould, saying: "I’m comfortable on the ball, and I’ll hopefully be able to show that I can do both sides of the game, going forward as well as defensively."
Leigh impressed in pre-season and has continued to look like a smart addition to the squad whenever he has been called upon in the first month of the competitive campaign.
Tyreece John-Jules
Signed somewhat out of the blue, Tyreece John-Jules became the fourth addition when he penned a season-long loan from Arsenal just before the start of pre-season.
Having had loans at Lincoln City, Doncaster Rovers, Blackpool and Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich was the next step in the development of the England U21 international.
McKenna said of John-Jules: "He’s a really talented and versatile forward who can play in a number of different positions. He has a really high technical level and can play off of both feet."
Predominantly a striker, we've seen John-Jules utilise his versatility to operate as one of Ipswich's dual number 10s on most of his appearances so far.
His first Ipswich goal, however, did come as a central striker in an impressive man-of-the-match performance at Shrewsbury Town.
Despite being used mainly from the bench, he has started life strongly at Ipswich and has taken well to the Town fans. It is clear big things are expected from the 21-year-old.
Marcus Harness
It was very late on a Friday night when many fans would suggest Ipswich's transfer business really set off.
At 11pm, the club announced the signing of Marcus Harness from Portsmouth for a fee believed to be in the region of £600,000.
The deal also included striker Joe Pigott moving the other way on loan (more on that later).
Harness, who signed a three-year contract with the option of a further year, said: "I was sold instantly when I spoke to the manager. I love the way he wants to play and I think I can be a good fit here. I look forward to showing what I can do."
Somewhat of a marquee signing, the attacker scored 32 goals across his three years with Pompey and has begun life at Ipswich in magnificent style.
With five goals in all competitions in his first month already (should well have been six), the 26-year-old has been one of the Blues' leading players so far this season.
He could well prove to be an outstanding acquisition to a player who has made more than a few new admirers in Suffolk.
Leif Davis
The Tractor Boys' biggest money move came in the final week of pre-season in Leeds United defender Leif Davis.
Davis had been a target of Ipswich for much of July but an injury to Leeds left-back Junior Firpo delayed the transfer as Davis was required on a pre-season tour of Australia.
Davis had returned from Down Under for less than 24 hours when the Blues signed the 22-year-old on a three-year contract. The club, again, have the option of a further year.
The transfer fee in question is understood to be in excess of £1m and is thought to be the biggest transfer fee ever paid by a third-tier club for a defender.
"He is a player that fits the bill of what we want. He is young, hungry, athletic and technically very good," said McKenna of the former Championship title winner upon his arrival.
Davis came straight into the side for the opening game of the season against Bolton Wanderers and struggled on debut.
However, the Newcastle-born defender has grown in each game and is starting to look like the player the transfer fee would suggest.
Lots more to come from Davis, you would think.
Richard Keogh
Possibly the most random of the nine summer additions, but by no means any less important.
Richard Keogh was signed by Town on the eve of his 36th birthday, 19 years after leaving the club's academy as a teenager.
He finally made his long-awaited debut for the Blues in midweek and admitted it was a little bit emotional.
Keogh, who signed a one-year deal from Blackpool for a nominal fee, cited being closer to his family in Essex as a factor for his switch to Ipswich.
The 26-cap Republic of Ireland centre-back provides invaluable experience to the defensive unit at Portman Road.
McKenna echoed this when Keogh was brought in: “He is respected in the dressing room and has been through the highs and lows in football. He will be valuable to us over what is a long season."
More on his arrival can be found in a previous article here.
Gassan Ahadme
Fast forward to deadline day, September 1. It turned out to be a busy one for Ipswich.
First up, another striker came through the door in Burton Albion's Gassan Ahadme.
A man in fine form at the start of this season with five goals across all competitions in the opening month, the 21-year-old headed for East Anglia late in the window.
The Moroccan, who was born in Spain, spent time at arch-rivals Norwich City and was on loan at Portsmouth before signing for the Brewers in January.
"I have played at Portman Road before and it was an amazing feeling. To be here now, as a player for the Club, feels amazing," he said.
Ahadme gives Town a different attacking option with six forward players having featured in some capacity in each of Ipswich's league matches so far.
He has signed a three-year contract, with the option for a further year.
Panutche Camará
The ninth and final addition of Ipswich's summer came in the form of midfielder Panutche Camará from Plymouth Argyle.
Camará has been regarded as one of the best midfielders in League One and can cover many central positions.
It was widely believed Camará was likely to head to the Championship after handing in a transfer request at the Pilgrims at the start of the summer, but a move never materialised and it looked as though he would remain at Home Park.
But a £500,000 fee was agreed on deadline day and Camará joins Morsy, Evans and Ball to compete for an extremely strong-looking Ipswich midfield.
The Guinea-Bissau international played 81 games across two league campaigns in Devon and joins the Blues on a two-year contract with the option of a further year.
“I am so happy to be here. I can’t wait to get started and meet the fans, as well as everyone that is part of the club,” Camará added.
This one, you feel, is well and truly the icing on the Mark Ashton cake.
Outgoings
Expired loans
Ipswich had four loan players leaving at the back end of last season and it's fair to say it was possible as many as three of them could return.
In the end, none of the four players returned to Portman Road, either on a permanent or temporary basis.
The one that was really never on the cards was left-back Dominic Thompson. After being loaned from Brentford, he never fitted in truly to the McKenna model of a modern-day wing-back.
Town ended up buying Leigh and Davis, of course.
He has since signed for Blackpool in the Championship where he is playing in a more conventional back four.
Tyreeq Bakinson was an athletic midfielder on loan from Bristol City and played a key role after Evans' injury during the second half of the campaign.
It is believed Ipswich had an option to buy but this was never exercised. Bakinson has since signed for the Blues' promotion rivals Sheffield Wednesday.
Town opted to recruit both Ball and Camará in his position.
One of the long sagas of the summer was the situation regarding much-loved loanee Bersant Celina.
The Kosovan scored six goals during his second loan spell at the Tractor Boys last season and was rarely far away from the transfer spotlight throughout the window.
Ipswich were always in contact but eventually interest began to cool when Harness was signed from Portsmouth.
The saga eventually ended when Celina joined Turkish side Kasımpaşa on loan from Dijon.
Don't rule out the attacking midfielder returning in the future, however. He has previously admitted a love for Ipswich and the English game.
Another home favourite whose loan spell ended was striker Macauley Bonne, who scored 12 goals last campaign and started the season in electric fashion.
The boyhood Town fan's name was being discussed right up until the final hour but it is believed he was never under serious consideration by the club's hierarchy.
Bonne remains at QPR after a move to Charlton Athletic collapsed at the final hour.
Ipswich were always keen to add another striker to their ranks late in the window and opted to sign Ahadme on deadline day.
Released
Ipswich had seven players released over the summer in which six of them have gone on to find new clubs.
James Norwood is likely the most notable name on there. He left after three years of service to Town and a reasonable goal record with 28 goals in Ipswich blue.
He has remained in League One, joining up with newly-relegated Barnsley.
Also released was 6ft 9in goalkeeper Tomáš Holý after three years at Ipswich.
The Czech was a popular character but was never getting anywhere near the established ranks of Christian Walton and Václav Hladký.
There will be plenty of fans wishing him all the best as he heads for Carlisle United.
Young left-back Bailey Clements had a brief spell in the side under Paul Cook before he was sacked as Town boss in December.
He departed upon the expiration of his contract and has rejoined with Cook at National League side Chesterfield.
Midfielder Brett McGavin departed the club over the summer to head to Torquay United.
The 22-year-old had previously had loan spells at Ayr United and Kings Lynn Town and departed having played 11 matches for Ipswich.
Another left-back departure came in the release of Ipswich academy product Myles Kenlock.
The 25-year-old racked up an impressive 103 games for the Blues and spent the second half of last season on loan at nearby Colchester United.
He has since moved to the north west to sign for Barrow of League Two.
Experienced midfielder Tom Carroll was another let go by Ipswich this summer.
The 30-year-old never got up to speed during his time in Suffolk after signing a one-year deal last season.
He has played 94 career matches in the Premier League but currently finds himself as a free agent having not found a new club.
Armando Dobra also departed Ipswich a year early after his contract was terminated by mutual consent this summer.
The young Albanian always looked bright but raw in his 30 matches as an Ipswich player, often finding himself guilty of tunnel-vision.
He has also rejoined with Cook's Chesterfield where he is getting regular senior minutes.
Tyreece Simpson
The only man to depart Ipswich this summer for a fee was 20-year-old striker Tyreece Simpson.
The Simpson saga became a bit of a mess after his recall from a loan spell at Swindon Town in January, only to find himself uninvolved as a contractual situation failed to resolve itself.
The predicament was assessed in a previous article here.
Simpson eventually did get a Championship move on deadline day, sealing a transfer to Huddersfield Town.
The Terriers are thought to have paid a guaranteed £500,000 which could rise to a healthy seven-figure sum with potential add-ons.
Loaned out
Ipswich have allowed six players to leave the club on a temporary basis this window.
Striker Pigott, as briefly mentioned above, moved to Portsmouth as part of the transfer with Harness.
The former AFC Wimbledon man signed for Town last summer but had a difficult first year, scoring just three goals and regularly finding himself on the fringes of the team.
He currently finds himself in and out of the Pompey side with new signing Colby Bishop taking the headlines on the south coast.
Midfielder Rekeem Harper has joined Exeter City on a season-long loan following a tough opening year to his Ipswich career.
After coming in with some level of expectancy following a £500,000 transfer from West Bromwich Albion, Harper ended last season out on loan at relegated Crewe Alexandra and finds himself out of the side again this time around.
With Town's midfield options as they are at the moment, there was no way through for Harper to make the Ipswich first team this season.
Young centre-back Elkan Baggott made the short-term switch to Gillingham this summer to gain some invaluable senior minutes.
After featuring on occasions for the Blues in the latter stages last season, the 19-year-old Indonesian is one of the hottest prospects in the Ipswich academy.
Another young centre-back who headed out on loan was Irishman Corrie Ndaba.
The 22-year-old is at Burton for the season in his third loan spell away and is widely thought to be ready for League One football.
The signing of Keogh appeared to pave the way for Ndaba to head out on loan.
Idris El Mizouni has gone on loan to League Two Leyton Orient.
The Tunisian is another midfielder who finds no way through the Town midfield at the moment.
Lastly, Matt Penney finds himself out on loan for the first half of the season in Scotland with Motherwell.
Penney finds himself right down the pecking order after the signings of Leigh and Davis in his position and is in the final year of his Ipswich contract.
In-house business
Arguably the best business Ipswich have managed to do this summer, though, has been keeping hold of their star players.
In particular, some penned new long-term contracts right at the start of the summer to ensure they were not going anywhere during this window.
The first of which was last season's top scorer and flying wing-back Wes Burns.
Last season's Player of the Year signed an improved three-year contract before heading off for international duty with Wales.
Burns has enjoyed his first year in Suffolk, adding: "A lot of people have played a part in my development this season and I am loving my football here. I love being a part of this dressing room and I am already excited about next season because I want to achieve things with the club."
The 27-year-old has become a fan favourite at Portman Road since his move from Fleetwood Town last summer and got off the mark for this campaign against Milton Keynes Dons last month.
Just two days after Burns signed his new deal, academy graduate Luke Woolfenden signed a new three-year deal of his own.
The 22-year-old centre-half has become one of the hottest prospects in the Ipswich ranks, particularly in the middle of a back three under McKenna.
There may have been fears that clubs from levels above may swoop for Woolfenden, but Town were quickly keen to get in some excellent business in penning him down to a new deal.
Later in the summer, two more of Ipswich's younger players penned new deals.
One of these is talented 18-year-old Cameron Humphreys, who has impressed every time he has featured for the first team in his six appearances so far.
Described by former U21s manager Kieron Dyer as the 'second best midfielder at the club' behind Morsy, Humphreys has committed his future to the club until the summer of 2025.
Defender Ndaba was the final player to pen a new deal at the club this summer, prior to his loan departure to Burton.
His new terms also take him to the summer of 2025.
Verdict
Without a doubt, this transfer window has been another successful one for Ipswich.
It was, of course, nowhere near as busy as last summer, but that's because it didn't need to be.
The core of the squad was already there and a few additions of quality would have done the job to make the Ipswich side one that could genuinely compete at the top end of the division.
And a few additions of quality they got.
The acquisition of Harness is a top signing at League One level, especially coming from a divisional rival.
Harness offers versatility in the forward areas, fantastic skill on the ball and an eye for goal.
He has already said he is capable of smashing the numbers of last season out of the park, and he probably should be on six goals already from the opening month of the campaign.
In addition to Harness, Ladapo, along with deadline day signing Ahadme, offer a focal point up top while John-Jules also brings versatility in the forward areas.
Conor Chaplin is still around and you could argue he's one of the best in the division. Sone Aluko brings silky experience, too.
On the left-hand side, Ipswich are so much stronger than 12 months ago following the arrivals of Leigh and Davis.
Town were far too one-dimensional last campaign with everything seeming to go down the Blues' right side and were almost far too reliant on Burns.
Captian Morsy is an animal in midfield and has formed a great partnership with Evans, but with Ball and Camará now in the building, there is some stiff competition for places in the centre of the park.
While there were no additions, Keogh aside, in the defensive unit, Town were remarkably impressive enough defensively during the second half of last season under McKenna that there was no desperate desire for any recruitment.
This includes goalkeeper Walton, who has started this season arguably even better than last, proving time and time again why he is considered one of the best keepers in the league.
Janoi Donacien hasn't even had a mention yet, one of Ipswich's most important players and a massive fan favourite.
Chaplin highlighted in a recent interview with the East Anglian Daily Times that last year's hectic summer didn't do the squad any good and a more settled pre-season has the team in good stead for this campaign.
He said: “The new guys are settling in very well and I think it’s a good group to settle into. I know that everyone is welcoming and there isn’t a single bad egg in the group.
"We all get on really well with each other and the new lads have fitted into that.
“They have all the usual things to sort out, like finding somewhere to live, but in terms of joining the group they have been fantastic and I see them all as brilliant additions.
“Last year I was one of the 19 new signings and we all wanted to get out of our hotels and into our own places as quickly as possible.
“I can only speak for myself but I am a lot more settled now than I was when I first came to the club, that’s for sure.
"This is a new journey now. Coming in late last season wasn't what everybody wanted to do, but when you have such a big influx of players, it's very tough to do something."
But above all, one thing really does have to be praised about this summer's window.
Zero major departures is the crucial element.
Ipswich could well have lost the likes of Walton, Woolfenden, Burns, Morsy and Chaplin this summer. But all have bought into the project at the club and are happy in Suffolk.
It has been a terrific transfer window for the Blues, who now have a squad and a manager that has fans excited once again for what lies ahead.
This season could well be a rollercoaster, and we're all on board.
