Ipswich Town should be eyeing up Norwich City, Sunderland target if Kieran McKenna departs: View | OneFootball

Kieran McKenna could be leaving Ipswich Town this summer, just weeks after he guided the club to promotion to the Premier League.

McKenna has taken the Tractor Boys from League One underachievers to top-flight new boys since his arrival in December 2021, but has recently been linked with filling the managerial vacancies at numerous established Premier League clubs.

The 38-year-old may well leave East Anglia to pursue an opportunity elsewhere, with Chelsea, Brighton and Man United all interested in the Northern Irishman, leaving Ipswich with a vacancy of their own to fill ahead of their first Premier League season since 2001/02.

One target they could go after is in-demand boss Will Still, who impressed in his 18-month spell in charge of Stade de Reims before leaving the club by mutual consent on May 2.

31-year-old Still has reportedly been coveted by multiple Championship clubs in recent months, but Ipswich may join the battle if McKenna leaves soon.

Still could be a brilliant appointment for the Tractor Boys if they are after a new manager - he is young, forward-thinking and plays a similar style and formation to that of McKenna.

Latest update on Kieran McKenna's Ipswich Town future

It would be a shame to see Kieran McKenna leave Ipswich after a fairytale two seasons - leading his team into the Premier League would feel like a prophecy fulfilled, but he may instead be facing up against them in 2024/25.

According to The Sun, Ipswich have offered McKenna a 'blockbuster' new contract reportedly worth £5 million-a-year over the next four seasons to keep him at the club, but BBC Sport say he is likely to reject any new deal amid interest from Chelsea, Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Sky Sports News has reported that representatives of McKenna met with the new United chief executive Omar Berrada and technical director Jason Wilcox last week, where the prospect of him taking over the first team was discussed, despite Erik Ten Hag still retaining his position ahead of their FA Cup Final on May 25.

Chelsea parted ways with Mauricio Pochettino on May 21, and BBC Sport understands that McKenna is believed to be the frontrunner on their managerial shortlist to take the reins at Stamford Bridge after his impressive Ipswich exploits, with journalist Fabrizio Romano also stating that McKenna is "waiting" for Chelsea in an update on his YouTube channel.

Roberto De Zerbi decided to leave Brighton at the end of the season, and the Seagulls are also interested in securing McKenna's services and reportedly 'tick a lot of boxes' for the 38-year-old with the club focused on building for the future, according to Football Insider.

With that in mind, it seems that McKenna's future lies elsewhere, and Ipswich could be searching for a new boss sooner rather than later.

Will Still must be under consideration for Ipswich Town

If McKenna does leave, there is one man without a club that has to be on the Tractor Boys' shortlist.

After initially managing in his native Belgium with Lierse and Beerschot, Will Still made his name by taking his Ligue 1 relegation-threatened Stade de Reims side on a 14-game unbeaten streak and turning them into Champions League challengers, all whilst the club paid a €25,000 fine for every game as Still did not hold his UEFA Pro Licence.

Still became the youngest manager in the top five leagues in France, but left Reims by mutual consent earlier this month and has previously admitted to Sky Sports that he would 'love to be a Premier League manager'.

Norwich City and Sunderland both have reported interest in Still, who was born in Belgium to English parents, but the lure of top-flight football would surely put Ipswich ahead of any Championship teams in the race for the 31-year-old's signature.

Similarly to McKenna, Still plays a style of football that would win over Ipswich fans in an instant, and even sets up in a 4-2-3-1 formation that can switch to accommodate three centre-backs - akin to the Northern Irishman's tactics that saw the club finish second in League One and the Championship in successive seasons.

Still has also been able to operate well on a modest budget compared to most Ligue 1 teams, and would be in a similar situation if he took over at Ipswich in comparison to other Premier League sides that will be splashing the cash.

He seems a realistic, affordable and exciting option for Ipswich, so while their fans will hope that they are not seeking a new boss this summer, Still should surely be near the top of any list of potential replacements.