Transfer Update: Ipswich Town has to push through the EPL side transfer in January.

Ipswich Town supporters couldn’t have asked for a better start to the Championship season heading into the second international break of the year.

The Tractor Boys were impressively promoted from League One last season, but many may have anticipated that they would find it difficult to maintain their particular brand of play in a league above.

However, Kieran McKenna has demonstrated that it is possible and has done it while using a team that is mostly unchanged from last year.

With 28 points, Ipswich is in second position, eight points ahead of third-place Preston North End and two points behind league leaders Leicester City.

The team has had a great start, and one player who has contributed to that success is Brandon Williams, who is on loan from Manchester United.

How has Brandon Williams done thus far this season for Ipswich Town?

Williams played just one game for Man United last season, a late cameo in the EFL Cup, and was far down the pecking order at the club.

The defender did play a significant role in the team’s preseason tour of the United States, but it was expected that the Premier League team would be ready to let the defender depart the team either permanently or temporarily.

Williams agreed to leave Old Trafford and joined Ipswich on loan for the 2023–24 campaign.

The youngster, 23, has featured for the Tractor Boys ten times since joining the team, and despite not having a firm hold on a regular position, he has been putting on strong performances for the team. In the last three games, Williams has already scored twice for the team, once each against Preston North End and Huddersfield Town.

He appears to be readjusting to life at Portman Road, and as his future seems to be moving further away from Old Trafford, the January transfer window would be the ideal opportunity for Ipswich to try to reach an agreement with Man United.

Why should Ipswich Town seek to sign Brandon Williams to a long-term contract in January?

As previously stated, it is likely that Man United will attempt to let Williams leave the team permanently following this loan stint at Ipswich.

The 23-year-old could have easily been retained by the Red Devils for the entire season had they not experienced their own injury crisis. They didn’t, though, and it should probably indicate where he stands in Erik ten Hag’s plans.

Williams has just recently started working at Portman Road, but he has already shown some promise. The defender has scored a few goals, but he is also averaging 1.4 tackles, 1.1 interceptions, and 0.4 clearances per game on defense.

Additionally, according to WhoScored.com, he is averaging 25.8 passes per game, of which 82% are deemed successful and 0.4 are critical passes.

So, Ipswich could be smart to consider making the temporary swap into a permanent one this January as his performances seem to be getting better and better. Williams appears to be the ideal match for McKenna’s squad, and if the 23-year-old maintains up his current level of play, he may return to Old Trafford at the conclusion of this season with a bigger asking price.

Therefore, whether Ipswich is in the top tier next season or not, adding Williams to their roster permanently would be quite prudent, even though they won’t have guaranteed promotion in January. However, completing the transaction in January could potentially save them a few million pounds because Man United might raise the transfer fee in the summer.

Additionally, McKenna’s presence at Ipswich will offer the team negotiating leverage when trying to sign Williams, and if the manager were to depart at the conclusion of this season, it might ruin whatever chances they had of keeping the player on a long-term basis.