Kieran McKenna leads Man United and Chelsea’s shortlists for potential replacements for Erik ten Hag and Mauricio Pochettino but Ipswich will not make it easy to get his signature
Ipswich are set to offer Kieran McKenna a record-breaking deal in an effort to keep him away from Manchester United and Chelsea – but even that might not be enough.
The Northern Irishman is one of the most in-demand coaches in England at the moment. After helping Ipswich to back-to-back promotions to the Premier League, a number of top-flight clubs are eyeing him.
Chelsea are considering a move as they look for a long-term replacement for Mauricio Pochettino. Manchester United are also interested in taking McKenna back to Old Trafford should they sack Erik ten Hag.
Brighton round off a trio of Premier League sides battling for the 38-year-old, as they search for a successor to Roberto De Zerbi. However, Ipswich are keen to keep hold of McKenna – whose contract expires next summer.
According to The Sun, officials at Portman Road are offering him a new deal worth around £5m per year – around four times what he currently banks. It is apparently the biggest contract that the Suffolk club have ever offered, including to players.
Meanwhile, the Ipswich hierarchy also inserted a £4m release clause into McKenna’s current deal last year. While club officials are doing all they can to keep him, it still may not be enough.
Offers from elsewhere could be forthcoming in the immediate future. McKenna also refused to comment on any decision – and instead suggested that speculation over his job was natural given the season Ipswich have just had.
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Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “The club’s got such a positive season and such a bright future ahead. We’ve achieved so much, it’s been an incredible two years, and when you have those two years there’s always speculation and things like that, there’s been that every summer.
“But I know how much everyone’s looking forward to the season, I know the club’s in a fantastic path and everyone’s just really looking forward to the season ahead. When you do well as a manager or as a player there’s always going to be speculation, and I know what we’ve achieved isn’t an ordinary thing, so of course there’s going to be speculation then.
“But that’s not where my focus is, to be honest. Tonight it’s about what we’ve achieved last season, what we’ve achieved over the last couple of seasons, not just myself but everyone at the football club.
“It’s been a wonderful couple of years, so tonight’s about celebrating that. I know everyone’s looking forward to next season and the club’s going to be in a really good place going into that season.”
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