Kieran Mckenna to sign new long-term deal as Ipswich Town manager

According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, Kieran McKenna is expected to sign a new long-term contract at Ipswich Town, subsequently ending the speculation over his departure this summer.

The news comes following interest in the 38-year-old from multiple top English clubs since the end of the season, notably Manchester United, Chelsea, and Brighton.

However, with reports earlier today stating that Chelsea have opted to pursue Leicester City’s Enzo Maresca as Mauricio Pochettino’s replacement, McKenna is now out of the running for a role at Stamford Bridge.

As such, the Northern Irishman has chosen to extend his stay at Portman Road, with the aim of keeping his side up in their first Premier League season since 2002.

McKenna, who started coaching as head of performance at Tottenham Hotspur’s academy, was appointed as Ipswich manager in December 2021 upon impressing as Man United’s under-18’s coach and as a part of both José Mourinho’s and Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s staff.

Having comfortably finished ninth in League one in the 2021/22 season, Mckenna took Ipswich to automatic promotion with 98 points in his first full season in charge. The following campaign, The Tractor Boys achieved the same feat with 96 points, beating out freshly relegated sides such as Leeds and Southampton to become the first team since 2012 to complete back-to-back promotions into the Premier League.

With a new deal now set to be signed, Mckenna will face a tough job as Ipswich boss in their attempts to secure survival in England’s top flight, an achievement which no newly-promoted side reached in the 2023/24 campaign.

Travis Levison | Get Football