Ipswich Town won't want to walk into the Premier League and be completely overwhelmed with the task at hand. Instead, they'll want to continue hanging onto the wave of their unbelievable success to try and stave off relegation.

New incomings through the door will boost their chances of not succumbing immediately to dropping straight back down to the Championship, with the likes of Armando Broja and Eddie Nketiah being linked with switches to the Premier League new boys to add some quality here and there.

There could even be a new signing between the sticks at Portman Road this summer for Ipswich fans to look out for, with the target in question once fancied for a surprise England call-up by Gareth Southgate, when an injury crisis struck the goalkeeper department for the Three Lions.

Ipswich looking at "incredible" new goalkeeper

Journalist Darren Witcoop has recently stated that Ipswich are monitoring the manager situation at Brighton and Hove Albion when going after young Seagulls shot-stopper Carl Rushworth, with a new manager on the South Coast potentially taking a fancy to the 22-year-old 'keeper.

Excelling out on loan in both League One and in the Championship with Lincoln City and Swansea City, with Swans manager Luke Williams labelling Rushworth as "incredible" for his efforts last season, the current Brighton reserve figure has dazzled in the second-tier and in the third-tier with his distribution out from the back catching the eye as much as his shot-stopping ability.

His now former Welsh employers did want to keep Rushworth past his prior golden loan stint, after playing every single minute of action he could in the Championship, but that looks unlikely especially with such fervent interest from the league above.

How Rushworth would suit McKenna's Ipswich

Rushworth could also be perfect for the style of play McKenna likes his Ipswich sides to play, with calm and measured play out from the back before springing into life in attack normally on the menu, as the Tractor Boys look to tweak subtly all over the pitch to deal with the step-up.

Ipswich will know they will need to shut up shop more in the division above having still been a leaky team even during their promotion heroics, shipping 57 goals compared to Leicester's 41 sitting at the top of the tree, and Rushworth could be the answer.

Although he kept only ten clean sheets in total for the Swans, the highly-regarded 22-year-old managed to prevent 4.02 goals from rippling the back of his net across the full season, with a staggering 143 saves notched up across all 46 of his second-tier clashes.

Games played

46

46

Clean sheets

10

14

Goals conceded

65

57

Goals conceded per game

1.4

1.2

Saves per game

3.1

2.5

Saves made all season

143

115

Goals prevented

+4.02

-2.93

Accurate passes per game (own half)

28.3

28.3

Stats by Sofascore

Making more overall saves this season than current Ipswich number one Hladky, alongside being more alert in preventing goals from squirming in, Rushworth's rise up the EFL could now culminate, much like Ipswich's, in an opportunity to test himself in the bright lights of the top division.

Hladky will feel slightly aggrieved, having been a consistent starter for Ipswich last campaign, but Rushworth's confidence and assuredness on the ball, alongside his age being 22 contrasted with the Czech keeper being 33 years of age, could mean he's a more trusted long-term option to persist with.

McKenna might well make calls that don't go down well with the entire fanbase, but with Rushworth succeeding at every level he's played at so far in the EFL, he could pass his upcoming Premier League assessment with flying colours if secured.

Ipswich could sign Davis rival in forgotten "special" talent

Ipswich Town would certainly keep Leif Davis on his toes by signing this gem.

ByKelan Sarson Jun 3, 2024