On Tuesday night, Ipswich Town moved one step closer to promotion to the Premier League with a 2-2 draw against Southampton, knocking Tonda Eckert’s team out of the top two.

The Tractor Boys sit second in the table heading into the final round of games, one point ahead of Millwall and two ahead of Middlesbrough.

Only a win will secure their place in the Premier League when they face QPR on Saturday, with the club aiming for its second promotion from the Championship in three years.

If the Suffolk club regains their spot in the top division, they will be expecting to do better than they did in 2024/25, when they placed 19th and were immediately relegated after securing successive promotions the previous season.

The club won only twice in the second half of the season and lost 13 times, totaling 22 points.

The summer transfer window could be critical in developing a side capable of competing at a higher level in the Premier League, with judgments needed to be made concerning the existing first-team squad’s capacity to make the step up.

Ipswich faces challenging £20 million. Jaden Philogene’s dilemma

Ipswich will face a conundrum this summer about what to do with Jaden Philogene, who was signed in January 2025 for an estimated £20 million fee.

The winger was brought in to help McKenna’s club survive in the top division after struggling for playing time at Aston Villa.

He impressed during a loan stay with Hull City in the same season as the Tractor Boys’ promotion, contributing 11 goals and six assists in 32 games for the Tigers, and he had struck the eye with his flare and skill while on loan at Cardiff City the previous season.

Despite exhibiting flashes of brilliance this season, the 24-year-old has struggled to progress under McKenna.

His hat-trick against Sheffield United in a 5-0 win at Portman Road in September sparked the club’s season, and he followed that up with an opening goal in a 2-1 victory over Portsmouth in the next match.

This performance demonstrated the pinnacle of his ingenuity and flair, which garnered him so much plaudits from Hull.

However, Philogene has only scored seven league goals in the last few months.

The former Aston Villa forward has made only two starts since regaining fitness in March, with Jack Clarke appearing far more dangerous in their battle for the left flank berth.

The fact that he has scored 11 goals from an anticipated goals (xG) total of only 5.5 is further concerning, indicating that he has been even less of an attacking threat than Ipswich may know.

With life in the Premier League on the horizon, McKenna must be wondering if the £20 million player can make an impact at that level.

Fans have expressed concerns over Philogene’s overall impact on games, even though the former England youth international wide-man remains a goal threat.

It’s unusual for Philogene, who has always been known for his unlimited imagination and trickery but lacks the end product to match, and many have questioned if it’s a problem with the player or constraints imposed by McKenna’s typically strict approach.

Nonetheless, given the size of the price tag, it’s something Ipswich may need to address sooner rather than later as they aim for the Premier League next season.

Ipswich may need to cut their losses with Jaden Philogene.

Given that Liam Delap, who currently plays for Chelsea, scored 12 of those goals, Philogene’s fluctuating record raises even more concerns.

Clarke has been the more consistent forward on the left side, but his ability to advance to the Premier League next season may be called into question.

The former Sunderland player has 16 goals with an xG of 10.3, and continuing that level of over-performance while stepping up to the top tier would be difficult.

Ipswich should only rely on one of these two players in the top division, and Philogene hasn’t demonstrated enough this season to be preferred over the 25-year-old.

It will be tough to recuperate the full £20 million invested on signing him 18 months ago, but McKenna may attempt again to coax a better tune out of him.

However, the club should attempt to sell him in order to collect monies that can be reinvested back into the team.