Ipswich Town's Latest Transfer Business and Rumours

One of the biggest questions asked prior to every Premier League season is ‘which teams will get relegated?’ This year most people would have probably put Ipswich as a safe bet for a swift return to the Championship, but looking at their recent transfer business, it is clear that they are ready for a fight.

Ben Johnson, Omari Hutchinson, Liam Delap and Arijanet Muric all signed last month, and while these are all good signings, none of them scream Premier League survival to me. But in the last few days, two signings have caught my eye, and these two players could be the difference between relegation and survival.

Kalvin Phillips

The English midfielder has joined Ipswich from Manchester City on loan for the season, and he will be looking to turn his form around after a disappointing spell at West Ham last season. While he doesn’t look quite like the player Manchester City bought a few years ago, he isn’t exactly past it and at 28-years-old, should be in his athletic prime right now.

BREAKING: Ipswich sign Kalvin Phillips from Manchester City on season-long loan 🚨 pic.twitter.com/Y387z6KCer

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 16, 2024

His time at West Ham last season was not good, but I think Ipswich have brought him in for a different reason to the Hammers. The Tractor Boys need Premier League experience in their squad. Both Southampton and Leicester City were both in the top flight two years ago and have kept a lot of players from that time and so their teams are vastly more experienced at the top level. The last time Ipswich played in the top flight was the 2001/02 season.

I don’t think we will see Phillips play like he did when he was at Leeds, but even if they get 75% of that, Ipswich will have a real chance of staying up. Before he signed, Ipswich’s midfield looked incredibly light with really just Sam Morsy, Jack Taylor and Massimo Luongo able to play in that position.

Sammie Szmodics

The most recent Ipswich signing is Sammie Szmodics from Blackburn Rovers. Szmodics was born in nearby Colchester and spent 17 years at the club as a youngster. Since then he has played for Bristol City, Peterborough United and Blackburn Rovers. If you don’t follow the EFL, then you’ll be forgiven for not knowing anything about him, but those who do follow the English Football League will tell you that this is an exciting signing for the Suffolk club.

Sam Szmodics: Signed. ✍️ pic.twitter.com/EhAG4Xr96T

— IPSWICH TOWN (@IpswichTown) August 16, 2024

In two games this season, the 28-year-old has already scored three times. That should tell just how good he is. Szmodics is able to play both as an attacking midfielder and as a forward and he scores a lot of goals. Last season he won the Championship Golden Boot with 27 goals (33 in all competitions) and was Blackburn’s player of the season.

A good goalscorer is always hard to come by and last year, all three relegated teams couldn’t find someone to consistently lead the line for them. Szmodics, should he be able to continue his form into the Premier League, is this sort of player. Last year, he missed just two league games so he could be a good asset in terms of his availability too. Ultimately, Ipswich already looked quite strong in the attack, but with Szmodics joining the club, I think that the Tractor Boys will be an exciting team to watch this season.