“Would be an effective bit of business”: Ipswich Town’s pursuit of duo commended despite warning from rival

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

Following their promotion to the Premier League, Ipswich Town have begun looking for fresh recruits to strengthen their squad for top-flight football, with Sunderland perhaps a strong choice when scouting for quality.

They have the division’s youngest roster by average age and are well-known for their ability to sign and develop young players, with some of them moving on to the next level this summer.

After a spectacular season in which Ipswich secured their second successive promotion, the club is now ready to return to the Premier League after more than 20 years away, where they will reportedly recruit players who they believe can make the step-up to the Premier League with them.

According to TBR Football, Kieran McKenna’s team is interested in Sunderland’s Pierre Ekwah and Dan Ballard. However, given Ballard’s age of 24 and Ekwah’s age of 21, as well as the fact that they have long-term contracts at the Stadium of Light, you’d expect the two to command a high price from any bidders this summer.

Carlton Palmer’s Ipswich Town transfer window verdict

Ex-England international Carlton Palmer believes Ipswich are doing things correctly if players like the Sunderland two are the types they want to sign in the transfer market.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Palmer said: “Ipswich Town are back in the Premier League for the first time in 20 years.

“A fantastic achievement by Kieran McKenna with back-to-back promotions, and they are now preparing for life in the Premier League.

“It’s always difficult when you get promoted. You know the quality is going to be higher, but you have also got to be careful, because the money that is paid in the Premier League, not just in transfer fees but in salaries, is huge.

“The gulf is massive. You have only got to look at the Championship this season. The three teams that are up there with Ipswich were relegated from last season, and obviously have the parachute payment money.

“Ipswich have got to be really careful when plotting forward. They are said to be looking at Pierre Ekwah and Dan Ballard of Sunderland.

“This is what Sunderland look to do. They buy the young players in and they develop them, then look to sell them on.

“Ekwah joined Sunderland from West Ham’s academy in 2023, and has gone on to make 60 appearances in all competitions.

“Ballard is another to join at a young age from a Premier League club in Arsenal in the summer of 2022.

“But Sunderland are in a strong position with both of these young players, with both under contract until the summer of 2026 and 2027.

“However, Ipswich have done really well in recruiting players. These two were at Premier League clubs and have dropped down to play regular football, so you would expect that they have the quality to step back up again now at that level.

“What McKenna and Ipswich are doing is signing young players that they believe can make that step back up to that level.

“If worst came to worst and they were relegated, then they should still keep these sorts of players to go again with a strong squad, and they’ve then got the parachute money to lean on.

“That’s the balance. You can’t gamble on just getting promoted and spending big money. That doesn’t guarantee you Premier League survival.

“It would be a good bit of business for Ipswich Town and McKenna, but they’re not going to find it easy to get them out of Sunderland, as they are on long-term contracts.”

Dan Ballard and Pierre Ekwah linked to Ipswich

Both Sunderland players have impressed in the Championship at a relatively early point of their careers, implying that they should be capable of making the switch to the Premier League in the future, possibly this summer.

Given that Dan Ballard is 24 years old and Pierre Ekwah is only 21, as well as the fact that they are on long-term contracts at the Stadium of Light, you’d expect the duo to command a premium this summer.

However, regardless of the possible cost, if Ipswich are eager to complete the transactions, they are unquestionably the appropriate type of acquisitions, as Palmer suggests.

Domestic additions that are reasonably priced and have plenty of Championship or Premier League experience for their age should benefit the Tractor Boys in the coming season.

They have promise and the ability to progress further, while also being of sufficient quality to significantly outperform the team’s current starting players in certain positions.