'Ipswich Town to be owed £10m' in Kieran McKenna compensation as expiry timeline emerges

Ipswich Town could earn £10million in compensation should Premier League clubs come calling for Kieran McKenna in the future.

That is according to former Manchester City financial adviser Stefan Borson, who exclusively told Football Insider that Ipswich will only have a year before the clause expires, however.

McKenna has decided to step away from football altogether, bringing an end to his five very successful seasons at Portman Road, while also ruling out a move elsewhere right now.

He led the Tractor Boys back to the Premier League in 2023-24, coming second to Leicester City in the title race, sparking interest from Manchester United, Crystal Palace and, more recently, Fulham.

He has achieved that feat once again, and just a month after doing so, has decided to take a much-needed break from the sport, despite still having a contract until 2028.

It has been disputed how much it would have taken to draw McKenna away from Portman Road, and Borson believes that figure is now much closer to double digits in the current situation.

Ipswich Town to pray for early Kieran McKenna return

Celtic are another team that considered a move for the 40-year-old, with £5m being cited as the compensation fee, but a deal was never pursued.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Borson said: "It'll probably just be whatever's already in his contract. I think he had something like a £10m clause.

"It's quite an expensive clause from memory. They actually put a few teams off. Obviously it looks like a personal decision, probably stress-related, that he just wants to take a bit of time out.

"It's fair and reasonable. And if within a short period of time, he comes back into the game elsewhere, Ipswich Town get their compensation.

"That'll have an expiry, you would think, of something like a year. After a year, I suspect they won't be able to receive any compensation because after a year, it will be a genuine stepping down for him."

Who could follow in McKenna's footseps at Portman Road?

Filling the shoes left by the former manager will be no simple task for whoever is to follow, and supporters are waiting anxiously to find out who that could be.

Former Wolves boss Gary O'Neil is being strongly linked with the job, as is Manchester United legend Ole Gunnar Solskjær, who is currently out of work.

With the summer transfer window soon to open, it is imperative that the Tractor Boys get someone in, so that planning can commence ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

Ipswich, of course, will want to stay in the Premier League, rather than go straight back down to the Championship, having finished 19th last time out.