Ipswich Town in negotiations to retain 35-year-old following recent announcement

admin | May 10, 2024 | Other Clubs | No Comments

Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna has confirmed that the club is in talks to keep Sone Aluko in a new capacity following his retirement.

Ipswich Town face a vital summer as they prepare for Premier League football.

A number of fresh faces will arrive at Portman Road, and some will most likely leave. Sone Aluko has stated that his stint as a Town player is coming to an end, having announced his retirement when his contract expired.

Aluko was on the periphery of McKenna’s playing team, but he played an important role off the field and in the dressing room as the Tractor Boys completed a spectacular rise from the Championship.

However, while he is retiring, the 35-year-old could still have a future at Ipswich Town.

According to the East Anglian Daily Times, McKenna waxed poetic about Aluko before admitting that talks are underway to keep the Nigerian at the club ‘in one capacity or another’. He said:

“We hope that Sone will stay with us in one capacity or another. His agent is going to speak to Mark about that.

“The highest paid coach in Premier League history is what he’s pushing for,” he added jokingly.

“We’re really keen to keep good people and Sone is a fantastic person. We hope he’ll be involved in some way. I hope it won’t be the last and I’m sure it won’t be the last time that we all see him after tonight.”

A future in the game

Following the decision to stop their playing careers, many players go on to work as coaches or in other jobs in football, and Aluko may follow in that tradition.

McKenna evidently admires his ability outside of the playing field, which bodes well as he considers his next move after retirement.

His extensive experience will come in handy if he decides to become a manager, coach, or backroom team member in the future. However, only time will tell what Aluko’s immediate future holds.

Worth keeping around?

As Ipswich Town prepares to enter the Premier League, the retiring attacking midfielder may be worth keeping at the club.

McKenna emphasized the importance of his position away from the pitch, as well as the importance of retaining positive people who have already contributed to the extraordinary promotion achievement. Aluko’s off-field impact could be difficult to replicate as the club seeks to keep the nucleus of the group that achieved back-to-back promotions.

In a club where much is expected to change in the coming months, Aluko’s stay could prove to be a useful piece of business as he transitions to a post-playing career.