Ipswich Town have been impressed with Omari Hutchinson’s loan stay at Portman Road this season and may complete a permanent transfer for the Chelsea starlet depending on one critical factor.
When Kieran McKenna took over the Tractor Boys two and a half seasons ago, the East Anglian club had been struggling in League One for some years and were uncomfortably near to the bottom half of the table.
The board has previously appointed experienced managers with a track record of winning promotions, such as Paul Cook and Mick McCarthy. McKenna was the polar opposite of both of these men, never having led a first-team squad in his coaching tenure.
The board took a huge risk by hiring McKenna, but it paid off handsomely. In his first full season at Portman Road, the Northern Irishman secured promotion by finishing second in England’s third division, three points behind the title winner.
In 2023/24, Ipswich Town returned to the Premier League for the first time in 22 years by finishing one point behind eventual champions Leicester City.
The 37-year-old coach was able to assemble a group capable of competing for promotion by bringing in several loan players. Kieffer Moore, Jeremy Sarmiento, and Omari Hutchinson came in and performed admirably, guiding the team back to the top level.
The last was really stunning. Hutchinson, 21, will return to Stamford Bridge after 50 games for the Tractor Boys, where he scored 11 goals and assisted six times.
McKenna recently responded to a question about what the ideal gift would be for his 38th birthday next week: “Omari”.
According to The Athletic, Ipswich can hire Hutchinson on a permanent basis this summer. However, McKenna must remain as head coach for the transaction to happen.
Writer’s perspective
Hutchinson is a superb talent who is undoubtedly capable of playing in the Premier League. Chelsea now has a packed attacking group, so Mauricio Pochettino will struggle to integrate him into the first team next season. Maybe the Cobham academy product will make a permanent move this summer.
However, a return to Ipswich Town is only possible if McKenna stays in charge and is not tempted away by specific job offers in the coming months. He has made the players and fans dream thus far, and he will need to do it again next season if they are to stay in the top division.
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