Brighton, Manchester United, and Chelsea are closely monitoring a significant contract situation involving Kieran McKenna and Ipswich Town. McKenna, highly regarded for his coaching abilities, is being pursued by Brighton as they seek to continue the progress made under their previous manager, Roberto De Zerbi, who recently departed after a two-year tenure. Chelsea is also searching for a new head coach following their split with Mauricio Pochettino, and Manchester United might enter the fray if Erik ten Hag leaves Old Trafford this summer. Notably, United had already approached McKenna earlier this month.
McKenna’s credentials are impressive. He spent five years at Manchester United, working under notable managers such as Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. At Ipswich, he achieved remarkable success, guiding the team to the Premier League with consecutive promotions from League One. Despite being under contract with Ipswich until 2027, McKenna is reportedly inclined to reject any new contract offers from the club, according to the BBC. He appears eager to advance his career, a move that has caught the attention of top-tier clubs.
Ipswich, however, is determined to retain McKenna and is keen to negotiate a new deal. Nevertheless, any club looking to acquire him and his assistant Martyn Pert would need to pay a compensation fee of £4 million. Speaking at the League Managers Association awards, where he was honored as the Championship manager of the year and the LMA manager of the year, McKenna acknowledged the speculation surrounding his future but emphasized his current focus on Ipswich, stating, “When you do well as a manager there will always be speculation. I know what we achieved is not an ordinary thing. That is not where my focus is. I know the club [Ipswich] is in a good place for this season.”
