Premier League 2026-27 preview No 12: Ipswich
Ipswich have appointed Gary O’Neil as their new manager and enter the 2026-27 Premier League campaign with a net spend higher than Manchester City, according to the club preview published on 2026-08-17. Guardian writers’ average prediction places Ipswich 19th after they finished 2nd in the Championship last season.
The Tractor Boys have invested more than £100m on 10 new signings as they attempt to build a side capable of surviving in the top flight, a response to being relegated two years ago after a transfer policy focused on Championship talent. That spending made Ipswich the league’s fourth-biggest net spenders and has generated quiet optimism in Suffolk. The club’s previous relegation also aided the careers of Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson, underlining the gap between potential and proven Premier League quality.
Recruitment has targeted players with top-flight experience to provide a stronger spine: Issa Diop and Saša Lukić arrived from Fulham, while Florentino Luís was signed after his spell at Burnley. The club broadened its scouting beyond England in search of better value and brought in Luís and Lukić to add physicality and a desire to win the ball back. The preview notes that another midfield addition would still be advantageous.
Gary O’Neil was rapidly identified as McKenna’s replacement after Kieran McKenna resigned following promotion, with the club valuing O’Neil’s battling qualities and intelligence. Pre-season began slowly, including a defeat by Osasuna as players adjusted to O’Neil’s methods, but the side looked effective against Rayo Vallecano. Julio Enciso’s return is expected to provide additional creativity and ingenuity.
Kjell Scherpen, at 6ft9, is set to become the Premier League’s tallest ever player after signing for Ipswich. Work on a £30m training-ground upgrade is close to completion and will include a new first-team building plus improved facilities for the academy and the women’s team, a project described as necessary to bring the club in line with rivals and to help persuade potential signings that Suffolk is the place to be.
The club’s main shirt sponsor is the local software company Halo, while Ed Sheeran remains represented on the kit with his ‘Play’ on the sleeves. Members of the Gamechanger 20 ownership group celebrated promotion with fans in the town centre and, having taken over in 2021, the group have delivered on a number of promises. The one blot on that record was the decision to invite Nigel Farage to Portman Road, a move the preview describes as a PR disaster that created a needless circus the club struggled to explain before promotion shifted attention.
Emersonn is Ipswich’s record signing at a cost of £24m from Toulouse; the 22-year-old is the first Brazilian to play for the Tractor Boys, has yet to establish himself as a consistent scorer and arrived lacking the necessary fitness, requiring extra work in pre-season. Ipswich’s attack last season profited from high turnovers, generating shots from 22.2% of turnovers compared with the Championship average of 10.4%. Sindre Walle Egeli was bought for £17.5m as a 19-year-old, is the son of a former Norwegian lower-league footballer, is the record goalscorer for Norway at youth level and scored four Championship goals in 18 starts in his first year in England; Erling Haaland has given him advice and may have the chance to offer more in person when Ipswich come up against Manchester City.
After being relegated to League One with Leicester, Abdul Fatawu joined Ghana’s squad for the World Cup and came on in each of his country’s four matches while playing as a winger for Carlos Queiroz. The preview describes the Black Stars as ultra-defensive, scoring only twice as they exited the tournament, and states Fatawu will be hoping for more creative freedom under O’Neil as he desperately seeks to avoid a third straight relegation.