The best Roy Hodgson replacement has been found by Crystal Palace.
Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna is reportedly on Crystal Palace’s list of summer managerial targets.
Crystal Palace are considering a summer move for Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna, according to journalist Alan Nixon
Roy Hodgson agreed to remain at Selhurst Park this summer after keeping the Eagles in the Premier League the previous season, but it is widely believed that the 76-year-old will leave the team at the conclusion of the current campaign.
McKenna is allegedly on the list of targets for a plan that Nixon alleges Palace is “already working on for when the veteran boss leaves for the last time.”
Since moving to Portman Road in December 2021, McKenna has performed admirably, guiding the Tractor Boys to last season’s promotion from League One.
Ipswich has adapted well to life in the Championship again and, after collecting 22 points from their first nine league games, is currently sitting in the automatic promotion spots.
In addition to McKenna, the Eagles are reportedly considering a move for Lille manager Paulo Fonseca.
According to reports, Fonseca, who has previously led teams like Roma, Porto, and Shakhtar Donetsk, is eager to manage in the Premier League, and he is said to have been under consideration by Palace two years ago before the appointment of Patrick Vieira.
What is the latest on Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich Town future?
It could be tough for the Eagles to convince McKenna to depart Portman Road, with the 37-year-old having signed a new four-year contract to keep him in Suffolk until 2027 in June.
The Northern Irishman has previously been linked with Leicester City, Celtic and the Republic of Ireland national team job, and Ipswich chief executive Mark Ashton revealed that there had been interest in McKenna prior to him committing his future to the club this summer.
McKenna has revealed his ambitions to manage at the highest level one day, but he hopes that will be with the Tractor Boys.
“I want to be back to that level – back to the Premier League and manage in the Champions League,” McKenna told The Telegraph last month.
“The ambition of the club is to get back to the Premier League as well so let’s hope that those two paths will cross at the same time.
“But beyond that I don’t plan too far ahead. It is my responsibility as a manager to pour all my commitment and energy into helping the club. From there the football will take care of itself and it will take you where it takes you.”
Would Kieran McKenna be a good appointment for Crystal Palace?
McKenna would be an excellent appointment for the Eagles.
He has established himself as one of the brightest young managers in the EFL, and he seems destined to manage in the Premier League in the not-too-distant future whether that is at Ipswich or elsewhere.
After their strong start to the season, the Tractor Boys look to be serious automatic promotion contenders in the Championship, and McKenna could fulfil his top flight managerial ambitions at Portman Road.
Should Ipswich be promoted, they have the financial resources to be competitive in the Premier League, and it could be argued that a switch to Selhurst Park would not necessarily be a progressive move for McKenna.
