Kieran McKenna was chosen as Ipswich Town’s new manager in January 2022, and it has turned out to be one of the best moves the team has made in recent memory.
Offering the 37-year-old his first managerial position was a risk, but it has paid off handsomely. They are currently poised for an unprecedented ascent to the Championship following their promotion from League One in the previous campaign.
McKenna has previously attracted attention due to his success, and Premier League team Brighton has been connected to him.
More connections between the Seagulls and the Ipswich Town manager have now surfaced.
According to The Guardian, amidst ongoing rumours regarding Roberto De Zerbi’s future, McKenna is being considered to replace the Italian at the AMEX Stadium. It’s also said that Brighton is prepared to fight for the Tractor Boys manager whether or not they advance.
The article also mentions that although McKenna might decide to remain faithful to the organisation that gave him his first managerial job, the lure of a bigger salary at a competitive side might be too much to resist.
When a manager takes a team to the verge of consecutive promotions, it is not taken lightly, particularly if the manager is only 37 years old and this is their first managerial position.
McKenna was always going to become more and more popular; the question now will be whether Ipswich Town can hang on to him while more and more people become interested in him.
Getting promoted will probably greatly improve their prospects of keeping the boss. Although it’s still possible that the Tractor Boys will finish in the Championship, McKenna will be much more tempted to go if teams like Brighton give him a significant promotion to the Premier League.
Although he has come to represent Ipswich Town and their success in recent years, it’s possible that, in spite of the team’s incredible rise, his trajectory is even steeper.
It remains to be seen what will happen to him, but if Brighton loses De Zerbi, it appears that McKenna will be acquired.
