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highlighted the subscriptions our members get the most value from. Ipswich boss Kieran Mc Kenna agreed to a last-minute loan despite rival team being just six points behind in the race for Premier League promotion

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The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member features. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Want to add more newsletters? Fantastic football content straight to your inbox! From the latest transfer news, quizzes, videos, features and interviews with the biggest names in the game, plus lots more. Sign up to our FREE live football newsletter, tracking all of the biggest games available to watch on the device of your choice. Never miss a kick-off! Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Ipswich Town are winless in their last two Championship fixtures but allowed a proven second-tier striker to join the team immediately outside the play-off places. Despite their recent dip, Ipswich are one of the teams responsible for the pressure that’s piling up on Championship leaders Coventry City. Middlesbrough have drawn level on points with the Sky Blues and Hull City are four points behind, but Ipswich have directly taken six points from Frank Lampard’s side. The Tractor Boys put five past Coventry without reply in their two league meetings this season. Only the leaders have scored more Championship goals, so it was perhaps not surprising that the Suffolk team were willing to trim some attacking depth in January.

30-year-old Sammie Szmodics is a known quantity at Championship level. He scored 27 league goals for Blackburn Rovers in 2023-24, which persuaded promoted Ipswich to take him to Portman Road and into the Premier League. He’s only scored once in his limited playing time in the second division this season and was permitted to reunite with former Rovers manager John Eustace with a loan to Derby County – seventh in the table and only six points behind Ipswich – for the rest of the season. A post shared by Derby County Football Club (@dcfcofficial) A photo posted by on Ipswich manager Kieran Mc Kenna was asked about the future of Szmodics when he spoke to the media before the two teams meet at Pride Park on Saturday. “We’ll see what the summer brings, ” said Mc Kenna, as reported by the East Anglian Daily Times. The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. “[Szmodics] had two big injuries in the calendar year of 2025, both with complicated recoveries that have held him back a little bit. So there's obvious football things there. “But in the end it wasn't a football decision, it wasn't related to his football performance. It was a decision that was made in the best interests of our group dynamic, of our dressing room culture, of the values of our dressing room and of our team. ” Mc Kenna was keen to reiterate that the decision was made in the interests of Ipswich, despite the understandable perception that the loan deal risks strengthening a direct league rival.

Perhaps hinting at some unrest behind-the-scenes, Mc Kenna didn’t hold back when confirming Ipswich’s motivation for the move. “The decision was made that it was best that Sammie wouldn't be with us for the rest of the season, ” added Mc Kenna. “There was a possibility of that being on a permanent transfer but when there wasn't a suitable offer it was still considered that it was the best for him not to be here this season. ” Ipswich visit Derby in a lunchtime kick-off in the Championship on Saturday. With Coventry and Hull playing later in the day, Middlesbrough not playing until Monday night and Ipswich still holding a game in hand, it’s a chance to make the teams above them sweat before they even take the field. Chris is a Warwickshire-based freelance writer, Editor-in-Chief of AVilla Fan. com, author of the High Protein Beef Paste football newsletter and owner of Aston Villa Review. He supports Northern Premier League Midlands Division club Coventry Sphinx. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

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