Ipswich Town will be worried that rival switch is merely…

Manchester United has appointed Williams as their new chief scout for the 17-21 age group as part of their academy scouting restructure. Williams previously left the club in April 2022.

He joins the club from Ipswich, where he served as head of recruitment, most recently alongside former United boss McKenna.

Williams’ appointment, coordinated by United’s director of academy Nick Cox and director of scouting Steve Brown, is part of a succession of changes in the academy’s scouting department since last year, as reported by The Athletic.

The overhaul of scouting at the academy level is something Cox and Brown have been working on for a while and predates the Ineos’ investment in United, and it comes just days after Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sir Dave Brailsford met with academy staff to give a presentation on how important the academy is to the club’s future.

Williams formerly had academy recruitment responsibilities with Sheffield Wednesday and Bolton Wanderers. United regard the appointment of someone knowledgeable about academy football but with previous experience as head of recruitment at a Championship club as a coup.

Sam Williams’ Ipswich Town signings.

Since Williams’ arrival, he has overseen multiple transfers at Portman Road as the club’s path to the Premier League has accelerated.

In January, they added four players to their squad to boost their chances of promotion, including loan signings Lewis Travis, Jerry Sarmiento, and Kieffer Moore, as well as the permanent signing of AFC Wimbledon striker Ali Al-Hamadi, who impressed in League Two.

Williams facilitated the arrival of a number of international players to Ipswich this season, including Leif Davies from Leeds United and George Hirst from Leicester City, while also maintaining his previous connection with Manchester United by welcoming Brandon Williams on loan and Axel Tuanzebe on permanent transfer.

Sam Williams’ departure could be a sign of things to come for Ipswich Town.

While Ipswich fans will be pleased with the season thus far, their attention will switch not only to a prospective Premier League campaign, but also to how to retain their key players.

According to journalist Alan Nixon, Palace is considering McKenna as a replacement for Roy Hodgson. Hodgson’s current troubles have fueled talk about McKenna’s possible move to Selhurst Park.

In June, McKenna signed a new four-year contract at Portman Road until 2027. However, there has been interest in the coach from other clubs, as revealed by chief executive Mark Ashton.

McKenna told the East Anglian Daily Times that he is focused on the next season with The Tractor Boys.

However, things might change in the summer if Town return to the Championship, and he may not be the only one receiving interest once the season ends.

The Football League Paper reports that West Ham were interested in signing Leif Davis during the January transfer window. If Davis maintains his success throughout the season, Premier League interest is expected in the coming summer.

When a team outperforms, those higher up the food chain will naturally attempt to take off some of its top performers, whether on the pitch, in the dugout, or behind the scenes.

That’s likely to be the case for the Tractor Boys, and it’s understandable if some Portman Road fans are concerned that Williams’ departure is only the beginning.

Ipswich’s squad members are on long-term contracts, therefore promotion this season is important for retaining key players.