Kieran McKenna had to invest in his squad after his side secured promotion to the Sky Bet Championship last term.
Ipswich Town returned to the second tier after three seasons of mid-table mediocrity in League One.
They have been tipped to secure back-to-back promotions and they have already made a very impressive start to their season, sitting in second with only one defeat to their name heading into the international break.
There have been a number of incomings and outgoings in Suffolk, here is an overview of their business.
Notable arrivals
Their first new signing of the summer was the addition of Peterborough United midfielder Jack Taylor for around £1.5m.
The 25-year-old had an excellent few seasons at the Weston Homes Stadium which saw him make 138 appearances and score 22 goals.
A box-to-box midfielder, Taylor has had previous experience in the Championship with the Posh when he made 34 appearances in the 2021/22 season.
Young ‘keeper Cieran Slicker also arrived at Portman Road and shone in their Carabao Cup first round win over Bristol Rovers in August, making four saves and a pass completion rate of 93%.
Next through the entrance doors was George Hirst who joined permanently after a loan spell last season.
During his temporary move away from Leicester City for the second half of last season, the forward made 21 appearances and scored on six occasions as he played a crucial role in their promotion charge.
He has signed a deal until 2027 and has played in four of Ipswich’s five Championship matches this season, scoring once.
Exciting young forward Omari Hutchinson joined on a season-long loan from Chelsea.
The Jamaican international joined Chelsea from London rivals Arsenal in 2022 but with their influx of new attacking signings, Hutchinson would have got next to no game time in Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
He has only been limited to substitute appearances so far but has made an impact in the games that he has played.
McKenna added Brandon Williams to Ipswich’s ranks with one week of the transfer window remaining, signing on loan from Manchester United.
The 23-year-old spent time on loan at rivals Norwich City in the 2021/22 campaign in the Premier League but has struggled to nail down a first-team spot in United’s first-team.
Their final new addition of the summer saw Dane Scarlett join on loan for the season from Tottenham Hotspur.
Scarlett had an impressive stint at Portsmouth last term as he made 40 appearances in all competitions and scored six goals. He is expected to have a bright, long-term future when he returns to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at the end of the season.
Notable departures
Joel Coleman, Richard Keogh, Matt Penney and Kane Vincent-Young were all released by the Tractor Boys.
Coleman went onto sign for Bolton Wanderers, Keogh and Vincent-Young joined Wycombe Wanderers but Penney remains without a club.
Conor Chaplin, Sone Aluko and Massimo Luongo, vital figures in their promotion-winning campaign, penned to new deals at Portman Road.
Idris El Mizouni joined League One new boys Leyton Orient on loan while ex-West Bromwich Albion midfielder Rekeem Harper departed for Burton Albion.
Joe Pigott followed El Mizouni to Brisbane Road following a two-year spell at Ipswich.
Other departures included Panutche Camara, Gassan Ahadme and Corrie Ndaba who signed for Charlton Athletic, Cambridge United and Kilmarnock on loan respectively.
Summary
Ipswich had an excellent summer transfer window as they didn’t lose any of their key players and only added to an already excellent squad.
Taylor’s arrival from Ipswich should boost their chances of promotion while Scarlett adds another dimension to their forward line.
They have made a very strong start and a return to the top-flight for the first time since the 2001/02 season may well be on the cards.
