The Seagulls are set to step up their interest in Kieran McKenna, who has been heavily linked with a move away from Portman Road.
Brighton and Hove Albion are set to step up their interest in Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna, according to iNews.
The 38-year-old has been the subject of major interest in recent times – and that doesn’t come as a shock considering he has guided the Tractor Boys to back-to-back promotions.
It only felt like a matter of time before they were promoted from League One considering how well they did under McKenna during the early stages of his reign.
But few people would have predicted that Ipswich would finish in the top two of the Championship table at the end of the 2023/24 season, a magnificent achievement considering the competition they faced.
Managing to fend off a strong Leeds United side, the Tractor Boys thoroughly deserve their promotion and it will be interesting to see how they get on in the Premier League next term.
They will join Brighton in the top flight, with the Seagulls managing to establish themselves as one of the better teams at the top level in recent years.
However, they have work to do before they even enter the transfer market this summer, with Roberto De Zerbi and the club parting ways following the club’s final game of the season yesterday.
Update revealed on Brighton’s Kieran McKenna interest
That’s according to iNews, who have also reported that the top-flight team monitor potential managerial targets regularly and McKenna features highly on the metrics they look at.
This could put him close to the top of the south-coast side’s shortlist ahead of the summer, with plenty of other managers likely to be on their radar as well.
It remains to be seen whether McKenna is willing to take the job though, with owner Tony Bloom and former boss De Zerbi clashing because of the club’s recruitment policy.
Kieran McKenna may have a big decision to make at Ipswich Town this summer
McKenna has enjoyed a huge amount of success at Portman Road – and the statistics certainly back that up.
| Kieran McKenna’s record at Ipswich Town (Source – TWTD) | |
| (As of May 19th, 2024) [All competitions] | |
| Games | 131 |
| Wins | 75 |
| Draws | 36 |
| Losses | 20 |
| Goals scored | 254 |
| Goals conceded | 121 |
With this in mind, the Northern Irishman may be reluctant to move away from Ipswich, because he knows that Suffolk is a place where he can be successful.
He’s also likely to get more time at Ipswich to put things right if the start of the season doesn’t go well, time he probably won’t get at Brighton, where there are now high expectations after recent years.
However, a move to the Amex Stadium could be appealing, because the Seagulls have been brilliant in the past few years and have a huge amount of potential, just like Ipswich do.
The 38-year-old could definitely be successful with Brighton and it could be a very shrewd move for him, with the Seagulls having the ingredients needed to enable McKenna to be a success there.
And if he does end up being approached by the top-tier club, it will be interesting to see whether he makes a move or not.
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