[themaclad]

Former Republic of Ireland defender Richard Keogh is being released by newly-promoted Ipswich Town, along with three other first-team players.

Keogh, 36, returned to Town last summer, more than 20 years after coming through their academy before spending the bulk of his career with Derby.

Joel Coleman, Matt Penney and Kane Vincent-Young will also be leaving Portman Road when their contracts end.

The club have offered new deals to Sone Aluko and Massimo Luongo.

Teenage midfielder Tawanda Chirewa has been offered fresh terms after the 19-year-old made his first-team debut this season.

Striker Aluko, 34, has scored three goals in 55 appearances since joining on a free transfer from Derby in August 2021.

Australia midfielder Luongo, who is 30, played 15 times in the league after signing during the January transfer window from Middlesbrough.

Keogh played 16 times this season having made the Tractor Boys his fourth club since leaving the Rams in 2019.

Ipswich said Keogh's contribution on and off the field had been "invaluable".

Goalkeeper Coleman leaves without making an appearance after he joined on a short-term deal in November as cover for the injured Nick Hayes and extended his stay in January until the end of the season.

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Penney, who leaves having also failed to play for the first team this season, spent the latter part of the campaign on loan with Charlton.

Full-back Vincent-Young made the majority of his 18 league appearances from the bench this season as Ipswich finished second in League One, clinching automatic promotion to the Championship after four years away from the second tier.

Loanees George Hirst and Tyreece John-Jules have returned to their respective parent clubs - Leicester City and Arsenal.

[themaclad]

Ipswich Town striker Conor Chaplin has signed a contract extension to run until the summer of 2026.

The 26-year-old scored 29 goals in all competitions last season as Kieran McKenna's side won promotion back to the Championship.

He joined the club from Barnsley in 2021 on a three-year deal.

"There is nowhere else I would rather be because this club is so ambitious in the way it thinks and the way it is run," Chaplin told the Town website.

"I want to carry on and be better than the 2022-23 season - that's always been my mantra in terms of season after season.

"I always want to beat the last one, which isn't always possible and isn't something I've always been able to do during my career, of course, but it has to be the aim."

Chaplin began his career with Portsmouth and had a season with Coventry City in 2018-19, after initially joining them on loan.

[themaclad]

Australia international Massimo Luongo has signed a new contract with promoted Ipswich Town for the 2023-24 season.

The 30-year-old was recruited in January on a six-month deal following his release by Middlesbrough.

He made 16 appearances in the second half of last season, scoring twice, as Town won promotion from League One.

"I'm delighted to stay and I think it'll be special playing for the club in the Championship," Luongo told the Ipswich website.

"The division looks strong but it's a big season for us and it's a season to be excited about."

Luongo began his career at Tottenham and had a 11-game loan spell at Ipswich in 2012.

He went on to play for Swindon, QPR and Sheffield Wednesday before joining Middlesbrough last September - but he did not play a first-team game for the Teesside club.

[themaclad]

Promotion-winning Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna has signed a new deal that runs until the summer of 2027.

The 37-year-old former Manchester United assistant first-team coach guided the Tractor Boys back to the Championship in his first full season in charge.

Ipswich finished second in League One last season, scoring 101 goals on the way to amassing 98 points.

"It's a proud and joyous day to be able to extend my stay," McKenna said.

"I've loved almost every minute of my time at the club so far.

"I look forward to leading the club in the challenges ahead. It's clear to see the club is ambitious and moving in a positive direction, but we need to work hard each day to keep going."

During his 18 months at Portman Road, McKenna has won 44 and lost just 12 of his 79 games in charge across all competitions.

His success with Ipswich has seen him linked with jobs at Leicester City and Scottish Premiership champions Celtic.

Ipswich chief executive Mark Ashton said he was "delighted" that the manager has signed a new deal.

"Whilst Kieran's new contract rewards him for the progression the team has made under his leadership over the last 18 months - culminating in promotion back to the Championship in April this year - it also paves the way for the future development which can be built on continued stability," Ashton said.

[themaclad]

Ipswich Town forward Sone Aluko has signed a new one-year deal ahead of their return to the Championship.

The 34-year-old has scored three goals in 55 appearances since joining on a free transfer from Derby in 2021.

He is the third player to agree new terms since Town won promotion from League One, following top scorer Conor Chaplin and Massimo Luongo.

"Sone is so important to the environment and the culture here day to day," said Town manager Kieran McKenna.

"He's highly regarded by his team-mates, first and foremost, but also the staff around the club."

Aluko was restricted to 19 appearances last season because of injury.

"The conversations started with the manager maybe at the end of the season before [2021-22] about what we might do at this point, and obviously to now be staying after promotion is even sweeter," he said

"Everyone here has been really good to me and this is a fantastic place to be.".

[themaclad]

Leicester City striker George Hirst has signed for fellow Championship side Ipswich Town for an undisclosed fee.

Hirst, 24, scored seven times on loan with the Tractor Boys last season to help them go up from League One.

Now, following Leicester's relegation from the Premier League, he returns to Portman Road on a more permanent basis, on a four-year contract.

"Ipswich has felt like home for the last six months and a big part of why I wanted to come back," said Hirst.

"The last few months of last season were massive for me, doing what we did as a team, and that was something I wanted to carry on being part of. The reception I got from the fans, players and staff here was brilliant."

After joining Leicester from Sheffield Wednesday in the summer of 2019, Hirst also had loan spells at Rotherham and Portsmouth before joining the Tractor Boys.

He is the son of former Barnsley, Sheffield Wednesday, Southampton and England striker David Hirst.

Hirst becomes Ipswich's third summer signing following Peterborough United midfielder Jack Taylor and young Manchester City keeper Cieran Slicker.

[themaclad]

Ipswich Town have signed Chelsea forward Omari Hutchinson in a season-long loan deal.

The 19-year-old, who has two caps for Jamaica, made his Premier League debut as a substitute in a 1-0 home defeat by Manchester City in January.

And he again came off the bench three days later when the two sides met in the FA Cup, City winning 4-0.

"We think he is a good fit for us and we can be a good match for each other," said Town boss Kieran McKenna.

"He is a wide player who can give us different options and is direct, can attack and test the opposition in one-v-ones and has good pace.

"This is his first senior loan so we have to remember he is very young, but he is a player we are excited to have join the group."

Hutchinson is Ipswich's fourth summer signing following Jack Taylor, Cieran Slicker and George Hirst.

Meanwhile, Ipswich have cancelled the contract of striker Joe Pigott by mutual agreement.

The 29-year-old, who spent last season on loan at Portsmouth, had one year remaining on his deal.

Following last season's promotion, Ipswich start the new campaign with an away Championship game against Sunderland on 6 August.

[themaclad]

pswich Town have signed Manchester United defender Brandon Williams on a season-long loan.

The 22-year-old, who has made 51 first-team appearances for United, is making his second loan move from Old Trafford.

He spent the 2021-22 campaign at Ipswich's East Anglian rivals Norwich City, playing 26 times as the Canaries went down from the Premier League.

He now joins an Ipswich side who have made a great start, with three straight wins to sit top of the Championship.

Williams is reunited with Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna, who he worked under previously at Old Trafford.

"He's someone I've known since a very young age," said McKenna. "I've seen his journey and how hard he's worked to get to where he's got to.

"He's still very young and has a large amount of experience for a 22-year-old, but is coming off a season where he hasn't played many minutes and has had some bad luck with injuries."

England Under-21 international Williams is in the final season of his existing contract with United, although he does have the option of a further year.

"I'm coming here to hopefully get into the team and play a lot of games," said Williams. "Kieran was my youth team coach at United and from there we have had a great relationship.

"He has always had the standards of a coach at the top level and has had a big influence on me. He has always kept in touch with me to make sure I'm OK. I trust everything he says."

He becomes promoted Ipswich's fifth signing of the summer transfer window.

[themaclad]

Ipswich Town have signed England youth international striker Dane Scarlett from Premier League Tottenham Hotspur on a season-long loan deal.

Scarlett, 19, has made 11 first-team appearances for Spurs, with the last coming in their Carabao Cup defeat by Fulham on penalties on Tuesday.

He spent last season on loan in League One at Portsmouth, where he scored six goals in 40 appearances.

Scarlett has also signed a new four-year deal with Spurs, until 2027.

"I remember playing against Ipswich last season and it was a good game. I liked the way the team played so I'm really looking forward to being part of that," Scarlett said.

Scarlett, who is Town's sixth signing of the summer, became Tottenham's youngest ever player when he came on as a substitute in their Europa League game with Ludogorets Razgrad in November 2020, aged 16 years and 247 days.

"Dane is a very exciting young forward who the staff and I have known about for a long time," boss Kieran McKenna said.

"He is an explosive finisher with both feet and someone who has good movement in the final third."

[themaclad]

Championship side Ipswich Town have signed ex-Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe on a one-year deal.

United academy product Tuanzebe, 25, left Old Trafford this summer and has spent a week training with the club.

Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna, who left United's coaching staff for the Tractor Boys in 2021, said: "We want to build him up in a sensible way and get him back to his best condition.

"If we do that, we feel we could have a very valuable asset for the team."

Tuanzebe made the first of his 36 appearances for United in 2017 and was loaned to Aston Villa three times, also having temporary spells with Napoli and Stoke City.

"I had conversations with the manager earlier in the summer," said Tuanzebe.


'My parents left Congo to give me a better life' - Axel Tuanzebe's inspiring journey to Man Utd
"Knowing the calibre of coach he is, it was a good decision to come here because I know the standards he has and how thorough he is.

"The stadium, pitch and training ground are top notch and the group is humble, willing to work and everyone wants to take the club into a better position."

The former England Under-21 international is second-placed Ipswich's seventh signing since they won promotion to the second tier in April.