Football League World

It looks set to be an intriguing transfer battle this summer between West Midlands rivals Birmingham City and West Brom.

Both sides will be looking to develop promotion-contending sides under youthful managers, with ex-Tottenham Hotspur coaches Chris Davies and Ryan Mason looking to make their mark on the second tier.

The duo are also looking to use their Spurs connections to recruit players this summer, with winger Mikey Moore expected to depart on loan to a Championship side.

Rather unsurprisingly, both Blues and Albion have been linked with making an ambitious swoop for the exciting 17-year-old, and it would be seen as a real coup at this level to land a player who is on the rise in the English game.

There’s no doubt Birmingham City have a bigger pull than West Brom right now given the financial disparity between the two clubs, and the Baggies might have to admit that they are second in the race for his signature.

If the Black Country outfit do end up missing out on Moore, then they will need to eye up alternative targets as they look to attack the 2025-26 season.

With this in mind, FLW lists three other wide players that Albion could target should Moore not link up at The Hawthorns.

Tyrhys Dolan

First up is current Blackburn Rovers man Tyrhys Dolan, who appears to be blossoming into a promising Championship talent.

A steady improver, Dolan registered 13 goal involvements last term, which was a decent return for the forward, and at such a young age, is certainly something that could be built upon in the future.

Able to play on either wing as well as leading the line, Dolan will have his sights set on maintaining consistent returns in front of goal, but after racking up more than 200 appearances for at Ewood Park already, he may be willing to take on a new challenge.

Whether Blackburn would sell such a key asset to a fellow promotion rival remains to be seen, but Dolan certainly possesses vital Championship experience to bring success to the West Brom squad, should a move for Mikey Moore fail to materialise.

David Brooks

If West Brom want to show ambition during the summer transfer window, then a move for Bournemouth’s David Brooks could be a route to explore.

The Welshman continues to find himself down the pecking order at the Vitality Stadium, with the likes of Justin Kluivert, Antoine Semenyo, Dango Ouattara, James Tavernier and Ryan Christie all battling for starting spots.

Brooks helped contribute to Southampton’s promotion back to the Premier League two seasons ago, scoring twice and registering five assists from 901 minutes of action.

The 27-year-old’s versatility would be a huge boost for Albion too, with the attacker able to occupy a place on the wing as well as in a central attacking midfield role, and this signing could kill two birds with one stone as the Baggies seek recruitments in both areas.

Brooks’ superb close ball control and brilliant eye for a pass make him a standout option to thrive in the blue and white stripes, and a loan move over Mikey Moore would be tempting.

Cian Ashford

Rounding off the list is young Cardiff City wideman Cian Ashford, who announced himself on the second tier stage towards the back end of the Bluebirds’ relegation season.

The young Welshman is another figure who possesses versatility in abundance. Comfortable on either foot and flank, he can also play in attacking midfield, where his ball-carrying quality offered a huge boost to Cardiff.

Ashford also has the ability to take on opposing full-backs with his sharp speed, directness and risk-taking, allowing supporters to get out of their seats through the excitement he provides on the ball.

The 20-year-old has the potential to develop into a dangerous Championship asset should he get another opportunity next season, and Ryan Mason could be the man to get the best out of him should a move for Mikey Moore fall through.

Birmingham City are continuing to prepare for life back in the Championship after taking League One by storm last season.

Chris Davies' side broke all sorts of records, including the EFL and world-record tally of 111, and come back into the second tier as a completely different club to the one which was relegated to the third tier just 13 months ago.

Blues are looking to use a strong wave of momentum and ambition as a crucial and immediate advantage heading into 2025/26, and, unsurprisingly, it is expected that they will invest heavily into the squad once more after last summer's record-breaking spending spree.

And, whilst plenty of recent talk in B9 has focused on developments regarding the upcoming Sports Quarter complex, it has emerged that Birmingham and local rivals, West Bromwich Albion, are looking to secure a loan move for Mikey Moore on loan from Tottenham Hotspur.

With this in mind, FLW has looked at three clear reasons why the 17-year-old has caught the eye of those at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park.

Chris Davies has strong connections to Tottenham Hotspur

The most obvious reason behind a loan switch is that Moore will be no stranger to Davies, who was assistant to Ange Postecoglou at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the 2023/24 campaign, before moving into his current role in the Second City.

However, this could also be the reason which counts for very little, given the fact that Albion also have one of the Australian's previous understudies as their boss, with Ryan Mason recently following in Davies' footsteps, moving from North London to the West Midlands when taking up his first managerial role.

But, whilst Albion will harbour ambitions of having a much stronger season in the Championship this time around, Blues owner Tom Wagner has spoken at length about his desire of back-to-back promotions, and it is clear that the club are monitoring the situation of young talents at many Premier League outfits to help realise such ambitions. James Beadle is expected to join on loan from Brighton, whilst a shock move for Louie Barry of Aston Villa has also been mooted.

Birmingham City's wide options are in need of bolstering

Whilst Davies' side ended the League One campaign as the division's highest scorers with 84 goals, availability and consistency in wide areas wasn't a major strong point.

Emil Hansson was signed for £1.5m from Heracles Almelo, but only featured 20 times and scored once in the league as a result of an injury-hit first season in English football, leaving many with reservations as to whether the Dane can make the step-up. The same could somewhat be said for Willum Willumsson, who often drifted out wide either from the start or during games and eventually returned to form in the season's final weeks after an extremely dry period in terms of goal contributions, with 14 of his 16 coming prior to January 4th.

Birmingham are continuing to monitor Kieran Dowell's situation at parent club Rangers after a productive loan stint in the second half of the season, as well as being linked with former academy graduate Demarai Gray and Sontje Hansen - who netted seven goals for NEC Nimenjen in the Eredivisie last term - further highlighting the need to bolster this particular department.

Birmingham City's attacking fluidity could enable sustained Mikey Moore breakthrough

Whilst this, in some ways, contradicts the previous point, the fact that Blues operate with a fluid attack can enable a sustained breakthrough period for Moore, who has featured in the left, right and central attacking positions behind the main striker for Tottenham.

It would be intriguing to see how this potential loan addition impacts Keshi Anderson's place in the side after a stellar campaign which yielded 12 goal contributions, but the likelihood of Spurs sanctioning a loan exit without the guarantee of regular first-team minutes for one of their brightest prospects seems extremely slim.

Regardless, a season-long drop into the EFL would do Moore's overall development the power of good after his initial breakthrough for his parent club, in which he made five starts in 19 senior appearances last term, scoring his first professional goal in a 3-0 win against Elfsborg, aiding Tottenham's UEFA Europa League triumph which ended a well-documented 17-year wait for a major trophy.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

West Bromwich Albion are entering a new era under Ryan Mason, with the former Tottenham Hotspur assistant moving to The Hawthorns for his first managerial role.

The Baggies are looking to improve on a drab ending to the previous Championship campaign which resulted in a ninth-place finish, hoping that the 33-year-old's style can simultaneously excite supporters and bring immediate success.

And, having lodged an enquiry over the possibility of a loan move for Jamie Donley, who registered 18 goal contributions on loan at Leyton Orient from Spurs last term, it has since been revealed that Albion, alongside local rivals Birmingham City, have expressed an interest in signing Mikey Moore on loan from the North London side.

Given the hype which surrounded the 17-year-old's initial breakthrough under the recently dismissed Ange Postecoglou, FLW asked our West Brom fan pundit, Callum Burgess, whether this would be a deal that ticks plenty of boxes.

West Brom urged to strike Mikey Moore agreement with Mikey Johnston, Karlan Grant scenarios in mind

Aside from the excitement which comes when such a highly-rated prospect is signed on loan, Burgess believes this potential temporary deal could impact the situations of both Mikey Johnston and Karlan Grant.

"I think with Mikey Johnston currently being our starting left-winger, having Mikey Moore competing for minutes on the left side would be good for both of them," he explained.

"I think Karlan Grant might be moving on with one year left on his contract, and having Johnston and Moore in the squad could be an exciting duo.

"You know whenever either of them are on the pitch, you're going to have (good) dribbling and lots of technical ability and trickery," Burgess added. "I think it would be a good move if Albion do land Mikey Moore.

"Yes, he's only 17, but he did feature quite a bit for Tottenham off the bench, and a move to the Championship would be really good for him as he starts to adapt to senior football.

"With Ryan Mason in charge, Albion are going to be attractive with his links to Tottenham's youth academy, having come through the ranks and coached there," Burgess stated.

"If we do sign Mikey Moore, he won't be someone who you're counting on to be one of the best players in the squad. But, you'd certainly hope he'd be able to make an impact over the course of the season."

Mikey Moore would add fresh blood to an experienced West Brom attack under Ryan Mason

Whilst having plenty of experienced bodies in a play-off or promotion-chasing squad is no bad thing, the loan signing of Moore would definitely give Mason a different dimension in attack, and if it was to have implications on Grant's future in particular, would almost certainly bring the average age of the squad down which, last season, was the joint-fourth oldest in the second tier (26.4).

As Burgess alluded to, this addition would also give Johnston plenty of competition, but there is scope for both him and Moore to feature in the same lineup due to the youngster's versatility, which has seen him feature as a right-winger and number 10.

A move to the EFL would be extremely beneficial at this stage of his career, and it is certainly intriguing when looking at which of the two West Midlands clubs could be given the ultimatum in this transfer tussle, with Blues boss Chris Davies also no stranger to the England youth international having worked alongside Mason and Postecoglou in North London during the 2023/24 campaign.

Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion are reportedly set to do battle over the signing of Tottenham Hotspur winger Mikey Moore this summer.

That's according to Football Insider, who claim that Birmingham and West Brom have both "registered their interest" in signing Moore as they look to bring him to the Midlands for their respective Championship campaigns next season.

Moore made his debut for Spurs towards the back end of the 2023-24 season, and after signing a three-year professional contract with the club in August, he enjoyed an impressive breakthrough year last term.

While opportunities in the Premier League were limited for Moore, he featured regularly for the club in the group stages of the Europa League, and after scoring his first senior goal in a 3-0 win over Elfsborg in January at the age of 17 years and 172 days, he became England's youngest-ever European scorer, surpassing Jimmy Greaves' previous record, which was set all the way back in 1957.

After catching the eye at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Moore could potentially be heading out on loan next season, and Birmingham and West Brom are said to have identified him as a target as they look to bolster their attacking options.

Birmingham City and West Brom plotting Mikey Moore loan swoop

After storming to the League One title last season with a total of 111 points, which set a new EFL record, Birmingham are preparing for life back in the Championship, and owner Tom Wagner has made it clear that the club are aiming for back-to-back promotions next term.

It has been claimed that the Blues could be one of the biggest spenders outside the Premier League this summer, along with fellow newly-promoted side Wrexham, so Moore could be tempted to become part of the exciting project at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park for a season.

However, West Brom appointed Ryan Mason as their new head coach last week, and the 33-year-old worked with Moore during his time as Ange Postecoglou's assistant at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, so he could use those connections to his advantage as he looks to bring the winger to The Hawthorns.

After parting company with Postecoglou on Friday despite their Europa League success, Spurs are expected to name Brentford manager Thomas Frank as their new boss by the weekend, so the Dane will be keen to run the rule over Moore once he takes over in North London before deciding whether to allow the England Under-19 international to depart temporarily.

As speculation begins to gather pace about Moore's future, we looked at how much he is believed to be earning at his current club.

How much Mikey Moore earns at Tottenham Hotspur as Birmingham City and West Brom circle

According to Capology, Moore currently receives £5,000-a-week and £260,000-a-year at Spurs, although it should be stressed that those figures are an estimate.

Aside from those who spent time out on loan last season, Moore is the lowest-paid senior player at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but that is perhaps not too much of a surprise given that he is 17 years of age and only signed his first professional contract last summer.

However, Moore's wages are dwarfed by the salaries of some of the club's biggest earners, including Heung-min Son (£190,000-a-week), James Maddison (£170,000-a-week), Cristian Romero (£165,000-a-week), Dejan Kulusevski (£110,000-a-week) and Dominic Solanke and Richarlison (both £90,000-a-week).

As Moore continues to establish himself in the first-team, it may not be long before he demands a higher wage that properly reflects his status as a senior player, but Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is known to be reluctant to overspend on salaries, with the club's wage to revenue ratio decreasing to just 42% in 2024.

The latest plans for Birmingham City’s bumper-new stadium in the Sports Quarter have been revealed, with the expected 62,000-seater area set to have a retractable pitch – exactly what Europa League winners Tottenham Hotspur have.

Tom Wagner has ambitious plans in place to put Birmingham at the forefront of not only English football, but in the global game.

The American investor is keen to build the brand of the club both on and off the pitch, with works for Blues’ new home in the Sports Quarter developing after the Government pledged funding for the transport link between the site and the city centre last week. There are hopes that it will be in operation by 2030.

While the Sports Quarter development is in full swing, there has been little news about what the stadium will look like, but first details have emerged about what it will contain.

Birmingham City to have Tottenham Hotspur-like retractable pitch

As reported by Birmingham Live, Birmingham City’s first plans for the new stadium have bee outlined, as the world’s leading stadium architects compete for the contract to design the centrepiece.

Designs are expected to include a retractable pitch, like the one Tottenham Hotspur have, which will allow for non-sporting events to take place easily inside the ground.

It has been revealed the West Stand is likely to be the main stand to overlook the city centre’s skyline, while the stand will also have restaurants that will be used all year long.

A training complex with separate spaces for the men, women and academy sides will also be in place in the Sports Quarter, with a total of 19 pitches expected to be available.

Birmingham City will be able to begin digging the site by the end of 2026, should the full plan gain approval.

Birmingham City stadium news is a sign of an exciting future

The emerging plans for Birmingham City’s new Sports Quarter are seriously exciting, with Tom Wagner proving his ambition of wanting to take Blues to the very top of the game.

As well as benefiting the men’s first team, Wagner has shown a willingness to continue his investment in the women’s and academy teams too, which is great to see, while an extra source of commercial revenue will only benefit the club over the coming years.

An estimated project of £3 billion, this will prove to be revolutionary for the club, along with revitalising the city by putting Birmingham back on the map.

The future of the club looks so bright, and this development highlights the impact Blues expect to have on English football over the long-term future.

Tottenham Hotspur youngster Mikey Moore is attracting interest from West Brom and Birmingham City this summer.

According to Football Insider, the 17-year-old has two potential suitors from the Championship.

Moore has already made 12 appearances in the Premier League for the London outfit, but has yet to cement himself as a key part of the first team squad.

The teenager also played five times in the Europa League as Spurs won the competition last season, but the dismissal of Ange Postecoglou as manager could shake up Moore’s pathway to regular first team football.

Mikey Moore transfer interest

It has been reported that Moore has interest from both West Brom and Birmingham over a potential loan move.

Both clubs are hoping to bolster their forward options this summer as they look to compete at the top end of the Championship.

Ryan Mason was recently installed as manager at the Hawthorns, and will know the forward from his time as a coach with the Premier League club.

However, it remains to be seen whether that will help sway his decision if both Midlands outfits make a concrete approach.

Moore is seen as somebody with a lot of first team potential, but could be allowed to go out on loan.

Thomas Frank is set to be appointed as the latest head coach at Spurs, so it’s likely any final decision on the winger’s future will be made once that deal is finalised.

Mikey Moore’s senior experience

Moore made his Spurs debut at the age of just 16, coming off the bench in a 2-0 loss to Manchester City last year.

The youngster earned his first league start last October, playing 61 minutes in a 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace.

He made a further two starts, with Tottenham coming 17th in the table.

Moore also started three times in the Europa League, and even scored in a 3-0 win over Swedish side Elfsborg back in January.

Ryan Mason connection could be appealing

Mason worked as part of Postecoglou’s backroom staff at Spurs, and so will know Moore well.

That connection could help convince the youngster that a loan move to West Brom could be a good next step in his career.

It’s clear that Spurs rate him very highly if he’s gotten this much game time already at his very young age.

A loan move to get regular minutes could be a smart move, and West Brom would be a great place to try and develop his game.

Leeds United are set to join Tottenham Hotspur in the race to sign Brentford midfielder Yegor Yarmolyuk this summer.

The Whites will be putting preparations in place to attack the summer transfer window, as they aim to go against expectations and survive in the top-flight in their first term back.

For this, Leeds will have to bolster their squad with a significant amount of quality, with the Yorkshire outfit having a transfer kitty of around £100 million to spend following their promotion.

Daniel Farke’s men have already been linked with making moves for numerous players during this upcoming transfer window, with Bees ace Yarmolyuk reportedly high on their shortlist.

Leeds United to rival Tottenham Hotspur for Yegor Yarmolyuk signing

According to a report by Caught Offside, Leeds United, along with several other clubs, are keeping tabs on Brentford star Yegor Yarmolyuk this summer.

The Bees have reportedly put a €30 million price tag on the 21-year-old, as the Ukrainian’s deal at the G Tech Community Stadium doesn’t run down until 2031.

It is reported a lot of teams are monitoring the situation of the midfielder, with an unnamed Premier League and La Liga club enquiring about his availability, while Borussia Dortmund and Napoli are keen on making a move.

Alongside the European outfits, Burnley, Leeds, Tottenham, Everton and Wolves have all been tracking Yarmolyuk, but none of these sides have made a formal approach yet.

It is believed Yarmolyuk’s versatility to play in a number of positions is a key reason for such significant transfer interest.

Leeds United will be below Tottenham Hotspur in Yegor Yarmolyuk due to ongoing Thomas Frank development

The midfield department is such a vital area to strengthen in order to be a success in the Premier League, and Leeds would certainly be gaining an asset on the rise in his career if Yegor Yarmolyuk opted to make the switch to Elland Road.

However, there’s immense interest from a number of established top-flight clubs, as well as Tottenham Hotspur, who are set to be managed by Thomas Frank after Fabrizio Romano confirmed a deal was on the verge of being completed.

The transfer window could see Frank try and lure some of Brentford’s top talent over to North London, and Yarmolyuk may well be keen on linking back up with the Dane, who has played a big part in the early blossoming of his career.

Only time will tell how the deal will unfold, but you would have to place Tottenham head and shoulders above Leeds and any other club for his signature, which is sure to be disappointing news for the Whites faithful.

Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich Town future has become the subject of intense speculation in recent weeks following their relegation from the Premier League.

The Northern Irishman has been a huge part of their rise from League One to the top flight, overseeing back-to-back promotions in 2023 and 2024.

However, a difficult year in the first division has seen them finish 19th and sent straight back down to the Championship.

McKenna signed a new contract last summer to keep him at Portman Road until 2028, but his time at the Suffolk outfit could yet come to an end much sooner than that.

Here we look at all the latest news surrounding the Ipswich boss…

Brentford interest in Kieran McKenna

According to TBR Football, Brentford are lining up a move to appoint McKenna as their next manager to replace Thomas Frank (pictured above).

The Dane is seen as a likely appointment by Tottenham Hotspur, with the Bees now set to begin work on finding his replacement.

The London outfit finished 10th in the Premier League table last season, and are now preparing for their fifth consecutive campaign in the top flight.

However, this could be their first year back at this level without Frank in the dugout, with their sights set on bringing in McKenna for the task.

It’s believed the Bees are impressed by the Northern Irishman and view him as a potential successor to the 51-year-old.

However, no formal approach has yet been made, with Frank still officially in charge at Brentford.

Tottenham Hotspur agree Thomas Frank compensation

Spurs are searching for a new manager following the decision to part ways with Ange Postecoglou.

The Australian delivered a first trophy since 2008 with a Europa League triumph, but a disappointing league season saw the team finish 17th in the table.

This has led to an approach for Frank as his replacement, although compensation will need to be paid in order to secure his arrival.

It has been reported by Fabrizio Romano that a deal of around £10 million has been finalised, bringing the Dane one step closer to taking over at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

It’s understood that an agreement has been reached with Frank to bring him and his coaching staff to the London outfit ahead of the new Premier League campaign.

Lee Hendrie’s Ipswich concern

Speaking exclusively to FLW, Lee Hendrie has expressed his concern over Ipswich potentially losing McKenna to Brentford.

He believes that the prospect of managing in the Premier League will be tempting for the Tractor Boys’ manager, and that the London club are a particularly exciting project to join.

"All of the top managers want to be [in the Premier League] and they want to take clubs further on," said Hendrie.

"Brentford is a very good football club, and still will be even if Thomas Frank leaves, so yes, I think it would be a massive concern for Ipswich if that happens.

"They will need to have a backup plan for someone to come in and take the club back to where it should be, because it wouldn't surprise me if this does happen, but ultimately, that is only if the Spurs job becomes available.

Wrexham still want to sign Ben Davies despite Tottenham Hotspur handing the defender a contract extension.

The pursuit of Premier League players is high on the Red Dragons' agenda. A number of top flight players have been connected with a move to the Racecourse this summer following the Welsh side's promotion to the Championship, their third successive jump up the English footballing pyramid.

Tom Cairney, Tommy Doyle, Christian Eriksen, Danny Ings and Danny Ward are just a small collection of elite-level talents that the Hollywood-owned club are reportedly pursuing this summer.

Wrexham will be able to offer big wages to these players, especially compared to most clubs that come up from League One, but they are reportedly willing to pay transfer fees for certain targets, one of them being Davies.

Wrexham persist with Ben Davies interest despite contract blow

Football League World exclusively reported that Wrexham wanted to bring the Welsh international back to his homeland as his deal with Spurs was running down.

The Europa League champions have since announced that a one-year extension on the 32-year-old's contract has been activated. He would have been available as a free agent this summer had Spurs not opted into this option, but, according to the Daily Mail, Wrexham's interest in Davies hasn't taken a hit.

They are still reportedly willing to go after the Welsh captain and pay a transfer fee in order to get him. A deal of this type for the defender won't come quickly, though, as per the Mail, as it is dependent on Tottenham securing a replacement option, with Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite being eyed.

A deal for Everton's 22-year-old centre-half is reported to be a very difficult one to do, as per Fraser Fletcher. If Spurs don't land him, or another Davies-type signing this summer, it could scupper Wrexham's chances of signing the national team skipper.

Ben Davies and all of his qualities will come at a premium for Wrexham

He led his country in a barn-burning match against Belgium on Monday night. Wales found themselves 3-1 down at half-time and got the game back to level-pegging, only for Kevin De Bruyne to score a late winner to crush Cymru hearts.

This level of experience at both the continental and international level that Davies has will be hard for Wrexham to get from any of their other transfer targets. Unfortunately, his expertise will come at a price. On top of whatever fee Spurs demand for him, the 32-year-old is estimated to be on £80,000 per week by Capology.

Brentford are preparing to make a formal move for Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna.

The Bees are expecting Tottenham Hotspur to trigger Thomas Frank’s release clause following Ange Postecoglou’s dismissal.

As a result, they have already profiled the Ipswich boss as the ideal successor to take over at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Brentford ready to make formal approach for Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna

McKenna has been in charge of the Tractor Boys since December 2021, but his residency at Portman Road may soon be up.

According to a report from Football Insider on Saturday, Brentford have already outlined the 39-year-old as they prepare for Frank’s departure.

It is believed that the Bees have been exploring a move for McKenna behind the scenes and are now prepared to approach the manager formally.

Despite suffering relegation from the Premier League with Ipswich, the Northern Irish coach is rated highly by Brentford’s recruitment team.

Following the Tractor Boys’ promotion to the top-flight in 2024, McKenna penned a four-year deal at Portman Road that would keep him there until the 2027/28 campaign.

Therefore, Brentford will have to agree on a compensation package with Ipswich to secure the manager’s services.

The timing of the deal depends upon when Tottenham move for Frank. The higher-ups in Suffolk will hope this process can be accelerated so they can prepare for their summer, which will now include appointing a new head coach.

Ipswich bracing for bittersweet breakup with Kieran McKenna

McKenna’s departure this summer always seemed a possibility if certain roles elsewhere became available.

His youthful profile and impressive leadership of Ipswich would have made the manager an ideal candidate for a number of clubs.

Ultimately, the 39-year-old will surely be relieved to potentially get another shot at Premier League management, especially after having his hands somewhat tied with the Tractor Boys last term.

However, a huge part of McKenna will still be disappointed not to reclaim Ipswich’s status in the top-flight.

He guided the club from League One to the most competitive division in the world after back-to-back promotions between 2022/23 and 2023/24, and wouldn’t have wanted the partnership to end following a relegation.

Career progression obviously comes first for the Northern Irishman, who will relish the opportunity to get to show his managerial prowess in a more competitive outfit next term.

That said, there is an element of unfinished business surrounding McKenna's relationship with Ipswich.

The Tractor Boys can’t afford to dwell on the situation, however, and need to turn their focus to who will lead the club forward as they aim to achieve promotion from the Championship next season.