Ipswich’s dream XI after January

Ipswich Town secured their return to the Premier League for the first time in 22 years last season and spent all summer ensuring they were ready.

The Tractor Boys spent a whopping £124m on securing the best players possible ahead of their long-awaited return, which made them the seventh-highest spenders in the league.

While that is an eye-watering sum of money, especially for a newly promoted side, it would be fair to say they spent it well.

The likes of Liam Delap, Dara O’Shea, Sammie Szmodics and Jacob Greaves have all made a tangible impact on the team, while the £20m purchase of Omari Hutchinson could prove to be a masterstroke in the coming years.

However, as with all teams, there are still areas that could be improved upon, so with the January transfer window right around the corner, Ipswich have another chance to strengthen their side, although given their outlay in the summer, we can’t see them spending too much.

With that said, here’s what McKenna’s dream lineup could look like come February 1st with just £26m spent.

1

GK – Arijanet Muric

Starting between the sticks and, unsurprisingly, it’s summer signing Arijanet Muric.

The £15m man hasn’t been faultless in goal so far this season, but he’s shown real quality here and there and, in the process, done enough to firmly establish himself as first choice.

2

RB – Axel Tuanzebe

At right-back, it’s former Manchester United prospect Axel Tuanzebe, who, when fit, has been one of the first names on the teamsheet.

However, following a bizarre injury at home last month that saw him almost lose a thumb, the 27-year-old has been out of action, although it seems likely that he’ll be back in the new year.

3

CB – Jacob Greaves

The second summer signing on the list and the second player currently out injured is centre-back Jacob Greaves.

The Englishman joined the Tractor Boys from Hull City in July and, before being sidelined with a muscle issue, made seven Premier League starts, of which four were draws.

4

CB – Dara O’Shea

Starting alongside the former Tigers ace is Irish international and the second former Burnley star in the team, Dara O’Shea.

The 25-year-old moved to Portman Road for £15M in August, and since then, he’s started nine games and generally looked right at home.

5

LB – Leif Davis

We’ve reached the final defender in the team, and he’s undoubtedly the most exciting of them all: Leif Davis.

Ipswich paid Leeds United £1m for the Newcastle-born “animal”, as dubbed by former manager Scott Parker, in 2022, and to say they underpaid would be a colossal understatement.

In all, the 24-year-old has scored six goals and provided 37 assists in 101 appearances for the club, which equates to an average of a goal involvement every 2.34 games, which is remarkable for a full-back.

6

CM – Jens Cajuste

The first name in midfield is Jen Cajuste, who joined the club on a loan with an option to buy from Italian giants Napoli.

However, if his performance against Tottenham Hotspur is anything to go by, for which he received an 8/10 match rating from the East Anglian Daily Times’ Alex Jones, we wouldn’t be surprised if that option was taken up.

7

CM – Wataru Endō

We’ve reached our first new face in the team, and while it might be construed as harsh, it comes at the expense of Kalvin Phillips.

A potential replacement for the Manchester City loanee, who was reportedly close to seeing his contract terminated earlier in the season, is Liverpool ace Wataru Endō, who was linked with Ipswich earlier this month for around £15m.

The 31-year-old, who won the League Cup last season, is incredibly experienced, playing for teams in the Bundesliga, J League and Belgian top flight and winning 66 senior caps for the Japanese national team, of which he’s the captain.

Phillips might be showing signs of improvement at Portman Road, but question marks will remain due to the last couple of years, which cannot be said of Endō.

8

CAM – Omari Hutchinson

Despite making more appearances off the right than anywhere else last season, McKenna has seemingly changed his mind about Omari Hutchinson’s best position this year, as he’s played in attacking midfield more than anywhere else.

However, that may well be a good thing, as following a somewhat slow start to the campaign, the former Chelsea ace is starting to look back to his best and was particularly impressive against Spurs, earning himself a fully deserved 9/10 match rating from Jones.

9

RW – Tom Fellows

The second new addition to the team is West Bromwich Albion star Tom Fellows, who was supposedly touted with an £11m move to Portman Road in the summer, depending on where you get your news.

Regardless of whether the Tractor Boys were in for the Englishman in the summer, they should be in January, as he’s been sensational for the Baggies this season.

In just 15 appearances, the “explosive” wideman, as football talent scout Jacek Kulig described him, has provided five assists, meaning he’s averaging one every three games.

Just think how much more effective Delap could be with a reliable creator to the right of him.

10

ST – Liam Delap

Speak of the devil; of course, the starting striker in February will be Delap.

The former Manchester City ace has been nothing short of incredible for McKenna’s side, as in just 11 league appearances, he’s scored six goals, provided one assist and generally scared the life out of defences up and down the country.

It’s early in his top-flight career, but we feel confident saying that in Delap, we are seeing a future superstar.

11

LW – Sammie Szmodics

Last but not least, off the left will be summer signing Sammie Szmodics.

Like a few of his teammates, the Irishman endured a slightly slow start to the campaign, but in the last month or so, he’s starting to show why the club signed him.

In all, the 29-year-old dynamo has scored three goals in 11 Premier League games, and as the campaign progresses, we wouldn’t be surprised to see that rate of return start to improve further.

Ipswich’s dream line-up in full: (GK) Arijanet Muric; (RB) Axel Tuanzebe, (CB) Jacob Greaves, (CB) Dara O’Shea, (LB) Leif Davis; (CM) Jens Cajuste, (CM) Wataru Endō; (RW) Tom Fellows, (AM) Omari Hutchinson, (LW) Sammie Szmodics; (CF) Liam Delap