Ipswich Town have already begun laying the groundwork to enhance their team after securing an immediate return to the Premier League.

Cedric Kipre’s loan move to the Tractor Boys became a permanent deal after Kieran McKenna’s side earned promotion, but the Suffolk club still has work to do.

The Portman Road team discovered how difficult the Premier League is when they were demoted to the Championship alongside Southampton and Leicester City in 2024/25.

Ipswich will not want to repeat that fate next season, therefore they must add more quality to their ranks in all areas of the pitch.

Ipswich Town defense must be irritated by Tractor Boys interest in ex-Burnley player CJ Egan-Riley.

McKenna has been able to rely on high-quality Championship defenders throughout his team’s promotion-winning season, notably Jacob Greaves, Dara O’Shea, and the aforementioned Kipre.

This season, the Tractor Boys had the joint-second best defensive record in the second tier, conceding only two goals more than champions Coventry City.

Ipswich have kept two clean sheets in their previous three Championship games, highlighting their remarkable defensive performance.

Elkan Baggott, a Tractor Boys defender, has had a disappointing season, appearing in only two games in all competitions, both of which were in the FA Cup.

Baggott has not appeared for McKenna’s side since their 1-0 cup defeat to Wrexham on February 13, having been designated as an unused substitute in Championship games against Sheffield Wednesday, Millwall, and Birmingham City.

Meanwhile, French outlet Foot Sur 7 reports that Southampton and Ipswich are both interested in signing CJ Egan-Riley.

Despite injury concerns, the English centre-back has made only 16 appearances in all competitions for Marseille this season, although he previously established his worth with Burnley.

Egan-Riley was a vital player as the Clarets achieved promotion from the Championship in 2025, but he chose to travel to Marseille rather than stay with the Lancashire side and help them reach the top flight.

If Ipswich beat Southampton to sign the 23-year-old, it will be bad news for Baggott, who will already be anxious about how little game time he could get in the Premier League next season after receiving no minutes in the Championship.

Elkan Baggott should now push for an Ipswich Town exit.

Baggott has struggled for game time at Ipswich throughout his senior career, and has spent time on loan with King’s Lynn Town, Gillingham, Cheltenham Town, Bristol Rovers, and Blackpool in the past.

The 23-year-old made 20 appearances for Blackpool last season and had hoped that the Tractor Boys’ relegation to the Championship would have resulted in more playing time for him.

However, the Indonesia international has not played for Ipswich in the second division, with O’Shea, Greaves, and Kipre all above of him in McKenna’s pecking order.

The arrival of Egan-Riley would only reduce Baggott’s playing time, implying that he should look for a move this summer, either on loan or permanently.

Baggott is under contract with the Tractor Boys until the summer of 2028, although staying at Portman Road until the end of his deal would certainly be detrimental to his growth.

Egan-Riley might be a fantastic signing for Ipswich, but the Indonesia international may become dissatisfied with the deal and wish to leave.