The 6 Ipswich Town players surely keen to escape Portman Road this summer | OneFootball

It has been an outstanding season for Ipswich Town in the Championship.

The Tractor Boys were promoted from League One last season, and they have seamlessly made the step up to the second tier, spending much of the campaign in and around the automatic promotion places.

It is set to be a tense few weeks ahead for Ipswich as they look to secure their Premier League return, but regardless of the outcome of the season, it has been a remarkable year for the club.

The Tractor Boys' achievements are more impressive when you consider that manager Kieran McKenna has stuck largely with the same group of players that won promotion last season, with 11 new players arriving over the course of the campaign to add depth and quality to the squad.

Whichever division Ipswich are in next season, McKenna will be keen to strengthen his squad in the summer, but there could also be a number of departures from the club.

Christian Walton

Goalkeeper Walton initially joined Ipswich on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion in August 2021 before making the move permanent in January 2022.

Walton played a crucial role in the club's promotion from League One last season, keeping 24 clean sheets in 47 appearances in all competitions, and his performances did not go unnoticed, with Premier League side Luton Town said to have been keen in the summer.

The 28-year-old remained in Suffolk, but he missed the start of the season with a foot injury, and despite returning to fitness in October, he has been unable to regain his place from Vaclav Hladky.

After a year on the bench, Walton will be desperate to play regular football, and there should be no shortage of interest in a goalkeeper of his quality.

Walton is out of contract in the summer, and while he may be offered a new deal with uncertainty over Hladky's future, it seems likely he would reject any proposal unless he receives guarantees that he would be first choice.

Janoi Donacien

Defender Donacien joined Ipswich on loan from Accrington Stanley in August 2018 before making the move permanent in January 2019.

Donacien was a regular for the Tractor Boys in the first half of last season, but he lost his place following the arrival of Harry Clarke from Arsenal last January, and he has fallen further down the pecking order this campaign.

The 30-year-old has been plagued by injuries, but with Clarke, Brandon Williams and Axel Tuanzebe having featured ahead of him at right-back, it seems as though his days at Portman Road are numbered.

McKenna described Donacien as "a very important player since the day I arrived" in August, but with his contract expiring in the summer, it looks unlikely he will be offered an extension, and the defender may be keen to move on to reignite his career.

Midfielder Ball made the move to Portman Road from Queens Park Rangers in June 2022, and having performed well for the R's in the Championship, he looked to be a shrewd signing.

However, Ball missed much of last season with a knee injury, and his minutes have been incredibly limited since he returned to fitness.

Sam Morsy, Massimo Luongo and Jack Taylor have all been preferred ahead of Ball this campaign, and with McKenna opting to sign another midfielder in Lewis Travis on loan from Blackburn Rovers in January, it suggests that Ball is not part of his long-term plans.

Like Donacien, Ball's contract expires in the summer, and his departure would be the right decision for all parties.

Cameron Humphreys

Humphreys is another midfielder who has found his minutes restricted at Ipswich this season.

The 20-year-old came through the club's academy, and he enjoyed an impressive breakthrough season last term, scoring three goals and providing two assists in 26 games in all competitions as the Tractor Boys won promotion.

Humphreys is a player with a lot of potential, but with significant competition for places in midfield currently, it seems unlikely he will feature regularly next season, particularly if Ipswich are in the Premier League.

McKenna would be reluctant to sanction a permanent exit for Humphreys, but a loan move could be beneficial for him at this stage of his career, and the midfielder will be keen to show his manager what he can do.

Freddie Ladapo

Striker Ladapo joined Ipswich from Rotherham United in July 2022, and he scored 21 goals and provided two assists in 53 appearances in all competitions last season to help the club to promotion.

However, Ladapo's game time became limited following the arrivals of George Hirst and Nathan Broadhead last January, and he found himself on the bench once again this season.

Ladapo was an important part of the Tractor Boys' squad in the first half of the campaign, scoring four goals in 22 games, but he was loaned out to League One side Charlton Athletic in January.

The 31-year-old has struggled to make an impact at The Valley so far, and it seems unlikely he will be part of McKenna's plans once he returns to Suffolk.

Ladapo is under contract at Portman Road until 2025, but he may be keen to make a permanent exit this summer, and he should attract plenty of third tier interest despite his underwhelming spell at Charlton.

Gassan Ahadme

Striker Ahadme looked to be an exciting signing for Ipswich when he made the move from Burton Albion in September 2022, but it has not worked out for him at Portman Road.

Ahadme scored once in eight appearances for the Tractor Boys in the first half of last season before being loaned back to Burton in January.

The 23-year-old made another temporary exit in the summer, this time to Cambridge United, and he has impressed for the U's this season.

That is unlikely to be enough to force his way into the Ipswich team, but his form will not have gone unnoticed by other clubs, and he could be the subject of League One interest this summer.

Ahadme is under contract at Ipswich until 2025, and he could be viewed as one for the future, but the Spaniard may be keen to draw a line under what has been a disappointing time in Suffolk.