Ipswich Town chief discusses Chelsea loan player’s future

Ipswich Town’s chief executive Mark Ashton says he’d like to bring loan sensation Omari Hutchinson back to the club next season.

The dynamic young forward improved throughout his debut season of senior football, dazzling spectators with his off-the-ball work, mesmeric skills, and somersault celebrations.

He ended up with 11 goals and five assists in 25 starts and 25 substitute appearances, including key moments against Southampton, Middlesbrough, West Brom, Rotherham, Sheffield Wednesday, and Hull, to mention a few.

Last week, manager Kieran McKenna was asked at the club’s end-of-season meal what he wanted Ashton to bring him for his 38th birthday, and he replied, ‘Omari!’ That elicited a big ovation from the crowd, with fans expressing their desire to see the 20-year-old return to Portman Road for Premier League play.

When asked if he might be able to deliver the present, Ashton smiled and said, “Listen, you never know. It’s very early at the moment.

“What Kieran has done with Omari since day one, how he has developed him, is extraordinary. He’s progressed from a little contributor to a team staple and someone who has had a significant impact.

“We’d love to have him here, but that would require conversations with Chelsea, his agency, him, his family, and so on. All of these will take some time.

Hutchinson, who is under contract at Stamford Bridge for another year, has often stated that he has loved his time at Ipswich and would consider returning. However, other European teams are said to be keeping an eye on his performance.

“You get promoted and everyone talks emotionally – ‘I want to be here!’ – but you’ve got to let the dust settle and then calmly speak to the right people,” stated Ashton. “We’ll go through it and see where it takes us.

“But he’s been an outstanding talent for us, and he’s really stepped up in recent weeks. We’ll sit down with Kieran and discuss what we want to accomplish.”

Several players, notably Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah, Coventry playmaker Ben Sheaf, and Millwall forward Zian Flemming, have been linked with Ipswich since the club’s promotion to the Premier League was confirmed less than a week ago.

The EADT and Ipswich Star understand that the Blues, who have a big list of prospective targets, are not in active negotiations with any club or player at this time.

Ipswich finished the season with five loan players (Hutchinson, Kieffer Moore, Jeremy Sarmiento, Lewis Travis, and Brandon Williams), however as a Premier League club, they will now be limited to a maximum of two loanees.