Ipswich Town made the most of Middlesbrough player exit and have reaped big rewards: View | OneFootball

FLW takes a look back at Ipswich's bargain free agent signing of Massimo Luongo in 2023, and how he's become a vital part of their success.

Ipswich Town snapped up midfielder Massimo Luongo on a free transfer in January 2023 after his release from Middlesbrough, and the Australian international has been integral to Kieran McKenna's side ever since.

Luongo had signed for Boro on a short-term deal in September 2022, after Middlesbrough missed out on their deadline day pursuit of Brentford midfielder Frank Onyeka.

However, after failing to make a single appearance for the club by the time his contract was up at the beginning of 2023, the experienced EFL campaigner was released.

Spotting the opportunity to add a proven Championship and League One performer to his squad, and indeed reunite him with a club he'd played for a decade prior, McKenna signed Luongo to a six-month contract.

Football League World takes a look at one of Ipswich's best bargain signings in recent times, and examines just how much of an impact the Socceroos star has had at Portman Road.

With Ipswich sitting in third place in the League One table at the time of Luongo's arrival, the Tractor Boys were in need of that extra bit of quality to push them into the automatic promotion spots.

Occupying the other central midfield spot was former Middlesbrough man Sam Morsy, who made somewhat of a surprise move to Portman Road at the start of the 22/23 season, given the fact he was a first-team regular in the Championship.

Missing a handful of fixtures after his arrival, most likely due to McKenna assessing his fitness levels in training, Luongo would make his second Ipswich debut on matchday 33.

He would go on to play in every single one of Ipswich's remaining league fixtures, playing a vital role in helping the club win automatic promotion to the Championship, whilst forming an excellent midfield partnership with Morsy that would become the beating heart of Town's side.

Luongo's two goals and top draw performances assured him of a starting role once again the following season, as McKenna's side looked to take the Championship by surprise.

That's precisely what they did, with their second-placed finish ensuring it would be back-to-back promotions for the Tractor Boys, with Premier League football returning for the first time since the turn of the century.

A low-risk, high-reward gamble that certainly paid off

Luongo would make 43 Championship appearances last season, scoring three times, as he became somewhat of a metaphor for Ipswich's achievements that year.

Written off by many, with few giving them much of a chance to remain in the second tier never mind winning promotion from it, but like Luongo, McKenna and his side proved a lot of people wrong.

Luongo's 65 tackles won were only bettered by 1.5% of Championship players in his position in the 23/24 season, whilst his 54 interceptions and 224 recoveries ranked him in the top 94.7 and 88.6% in those respective categories - per FotMob.

Alongside Morsy, Ipswich were able to field one of the most industrious and tough to play against central midfield partnerships in the Championship, speaking to the old phrase that hard work often beats talent.

That's not to say either of those two players lacked ability, as teams rarely win promotion from any league without a strong and talented midfield core, but it's also fair to say that there were perhaps silkier and classier central midfielders in the division.

But thanks to fantastic coaching from McKenna and a firm understanding of the role he would play in the side, Luongo's signing will go down as a masterstroke by the club, costing them nothing whilst playing a leading role in helping them reach the riches of the Premier League.

With the arrival of England international Kalvin Phillips in midfield this summer, the Australian - who will turn 32 come the end of September - will likely play more of a rotational role this season, but his experience and reliability will no doubt be called upon many times in order to help Ipswich secure their top-flight status.

His exploits will also surely leave some Middlesbrough fans, and perhaps the decision makers at the Riverside Stadium, wondering whether they should've given him more of a chance during his forgettable spell on Teesside.