The 2025–26 season is the 148th season in the history of Ipswich Town Football Club, and their first season back in the Championship since the 2023–24 campaign, following relegation from the Premier League in the preceding season. In addition to the domestic league, the club also compete in the FA Cup and the EFL Cup.
On 30 June 2025, it was announced that Town would be changing the front-of-shirt sponsor for the first time since 2021 from Ed Sheeran's +–=÷× Tour to HaloITSM, Ed Sheeran's hot sauce brand, Tingly's Ted announced as new sleeve sponsor.
On 2 May 2026, in the final game of the season, Town won promotion back to the Premier League after only one season away when they won 3–0 against Queens Park Rangers at Portman Road.
First-team key staff Position Name Manager Kieran McKenna Assistant Manager Martyn PertFirst-Team Coaches Sone Aluko Mark Hudson Charlie Turnbull Junior StanislasGoalkeeping Coaches Rene Gilmartin David Button Fitness Coach Jon Ashton Director of Football Operations Dmitri Halajko Director of Performance Andy Rolls Head of Analysis Cillian Callaly Head of Recruitment Will Stephenson Head of Athletic Performance Matt AllenHead Physiotherapist Matt Byard Head of Strength & Conditioning Dan Peacock Sports Scientist Kit Barnes Sports Therapist Alice Gindrod Kit Manager Lee Owen
First-team squad
No. Player Position(s) Nationality Place of birth Date of birth (age) Signed from Date signed Fee Contract end Goalkeepers 1 Alex Palmer GK Kidderminster West Bromwich Albion 3 February 2025 £2,000,000 30 June 2028 27 David Button GK Stevenage Reading 3 February 2025 Free transfer 30 June 2026 28 Christian Walton GK Wadebridge Brighton & Hove Albion 19 January 2022 Undisclosed 30 June 2028 Defenders 3 Leif Davis LB Newcastle upon Tyne Leeds United 25 July 2022 £1,200,000 30 June 2029 4 Cédric Kipré CB Paris Reims 13 July 2025 Loan 31 May 2026 15 Ashley Young RB/LB Stevenage Everton 23 July 2025 Free transfer 31 May 2026 18 Ben Johnson RB/LB Waltham Forest West Ham United 1 July 2024 Free transfer 30 June 2028 19 Darnell Furlong RB/LB Luton West Bromwich Albion 28 August 2025 £3,500,000 30 June 2028 22 Conor Townsend LB Hessle West Bromwich Albion 1 August 2024 £500,000 30 June 2026 24 Jacob Greaves CB Cottingham Hull City 12 July 2024 Undisclosed 30 June 2029 25 Elkan Baggott CB Bangkok Academy 28 January 2021 30 June 2028 26 Dara O'Shea CB Dublin Burnley 25 August 2024 Undisclosed 30 June 2030 Midfielders 5 Azor Matusiwa CM Hilversum Rennes 13 July 2025 £7,800,000 30 June 2029 6 Dan Neil CM South Shields Sunderland 27 January 2026 Loan 30 June 2026 7 Wes Burns RW Cardiff Fleetwood Town 1 July 2021 Undisclosed 30 June 2026 12 Jens Cajuste CM Gothenburg Napoli 7 August 2025 Loan 31 May 2026 14 Jack Taylor CM Hammersmith Peterborough United 26 June 2023 £1,500,000 30 June 2028 32 Marcelino Núñez CM Recoleta Norwich City 29 August 2025 £7,500,000 30 June 2029 Forwards 8 Sindre Walle Egeli RW/SS Larvik FC Nordsjælland 29 August 2025 £17,500,000 30 June 2030 9 George Hirst CF Sheffield Leicester City 13 July 2023 Undisclosed 30 June 2029 11 Jaden Philogene LW/RW Hammersmith Aston Villa 15 January 2025 Undisclosed 30 June 2029 20 Kasey McAteer RW Northampton Leicester City 22 August 2025 £11,500,000 30 June 2029 29 Chuba Akpom CF/SS Newham Ajax 10 August 2025 Loan 31 May 2026 31 Iván Azón CF Zaragoza Como 28 August 2025 Loan 31 May 2026 33 Anis Mehmeti LW/SS Islington Bristol City 23 January 2026 £3,000,000 30 June 2029 47 Jack Clarke LW York Sunderland 24 August 2024 Undisclosed 30 June 2029 Out on loan 2 Harry Clarke RB Ipswich Arsenal 19 January 2023 Undisclosed 30 June 2026 10 Conor Chaplin SS/CF Worthing Barnsley 27 July 2021 £875,000 30 June 2026 13 Cieran Slicker GK Oldham Manchester City 8 July 2023 Undisclosed 30 June 2028 16 Ali Al-Hamadi CF Maysan AFC Wimbledon 29 January 2024 £1,000,000 30 June 2028 21 Chiedozie Ogbene RW Lagos Luton Town 28 August 2024 Undisclosed 30 June 2028 23 Sammie Szmodics SS/CF Colchester Blackburn Rovers 16 August 2024 Undisclosed 30 June 2028 30 Cameron Humphreys CM Colchester Academy 1 July 2022 30 June 2026 49 Arijanet Muric GK Schlieren Burnley 17 July 2024 Undisclosed 30 June 2028
Transfers and contracts In Date Pos Nationality Player From Fee Ref First team 4 July 2025 GK David Button Reading Free transfer 13 July 2025 CM Azor Matusiwa Rennes £7,800,000 23 July 2025 RB Ashley Young Everton Free transfer 22 August 2025 RW Kasey McAteer Leicester City £11,500,000 28 August 2025 RB Darnell Furlong West Bromwich Albion £3,500,000 29 August 2025 CM Marcelino Núñez Norwich City £7,500,000 RW Sindre Walle Egeli FC Nordsjælland £17,500,000 23 January 2026 CAM Anis Mehmeti Bristol City £3,000,000 Academy 2 September 2025 MF Tyler Young Peterborough United Free transfer 2 February 2026 MF Ryan Doherty Stevenage Undisclosed Women's team 14 July 2025 CB Paige Peake Southampton Free transfer 22 July 2025 W Ruby Seaby Arsenal 22 July 2025 CF Rianna Dean Southampton 30 July 2025 CM Ruby Doe West Ham 31 July 2025 RB Bethan Roe Charlton Athletic CM Jenna Dear Sunderland RB Grace Neville London City Lionesses 3 August 2025 CM Sophie Baigent Hashtag United 19 January 2026 CM Colette Cavanagh Deportivo de La Coruña 20 January 2026 W Lucy Ashworth-Clifford Lazio Undisclosed 3 February 2026 GK Lysianne Proulx Juventus
Out Date Pos Nationality Player To Fee Ref First team 4 June 2025 CF Liam Delap Chelsea £30,000,000 24 July 2025 CM Sam Morsy Al-Kuwait Free transfer 14 August 2025 LW Nathan Broadhead Wrexham £7,500,000 16 August 2025 RW Omari Hutchinson Nottingham Forest £37,500,000 1 September 2025 CB Luke Woolfenden Coventry City £4,000,000 Academy 25 February 2026 CF Ashley Boatswain Gateshead Undisclosed
Loaned in Date Pos Nationality Player Loaned from Date until Ref First team 13 July 2025 CB Cédric Kipré Reims 31 May 2026 7 August 2025 CM Jens Cajuste Napoli 10 August 2025 CF Chuba Akpom Ajax 28 August 2025 CF Iván Azón Como 27 January 2026 CM Dan Neil Sunderland Academy 1 September 2025 CF Luca Fletcher Manchester City 31 May 2026 2 February 2026 RW Frankie Runham Chelsea Women's team 4 September 2025 CM Maddy Earl Arsenal 3 February 2026 22 January 2026 CF Kit Graham Tottenham Hotspur 31 May 2026 27 January 2026 CB Kenzie Weir Everton 29 January 2026 W Ava Baker Birmingham City 3 February 2026 RB Nelly Las Leicester City CM Malaika Meena Bristol City CF Princess Ademiluyi Gotham FC 31 December 2026
Loaned out Date Pos Nationality Player Loaned to Date until Ref First team 7 August 2025 GK Cieran Slicker Barnet 31 May 2026 13 August 2025 GK Arijanet Muric Sassuolo 1 September 2025 RW Chiedozie Ogbene Sheffield United CF Ali Al-Hamadi Luton Town SS Conor Chaplin Portsmouth 8 January 2026 CM Cameron Humphreys Huddersfield Town 12 January 2026 RB Harry Clarke Charlton Athletic 2 February 2026 SS Sammie Szmodics Derby County Academy 30 July 2025 DF Jokūbas Mažionis Cheltenham Town 2 January 2026 1 September 2025 MF Finley Barbrook Lincoln City 6 January 2026 FW Tom Taylor Cheltenham Town 12 January 2026 9 October 2025 FW Ashley Boatswain Woking 6 February 2026 4 November 2025 MF Steven Turner Wealdstone 1 January 2026 12 January 2026 GK Henry Gray Harrogate Town 31 May 2026 30 January 2026 MF Finley Barbrook Colchester United 13 February 2026 FW Leon Ayinde Boreham Wood Women's team 6 September 2025 GK Nina Meollo Real Bedford 31 May 2026 28 January 2026 CM Kaci-Jai Bonwick AFC Sudbury 31 January 2026 W Ruby Seaby Lewes 5 February 2026 CM Shauna Guyatt Sheffield United Academy loans only shows players gone to a National League N/S team or higher and for more than a month
Released / out of contract Date Pos Nationality Player Subsequent club Join date Ref First team30 June 2025 CB Cameron Burgess Swansea City 1 July 2025 RB Axel Tuanzebe Burnley 1 July 2025 CM Massimo Luongo Millwall 24 July 2025 LW Marcus Harness Huddersfield Town 1 July 2025 Academy 30 June 2025 GK Charlie Binns Bath City 8 October 2025 GK Alan Fleischer Heybridge Swifts 1 July 2025 DF Edwin Agbaje Sligo Rovers 15 August 2025 DF Jesse Ayoola Hashtag United 7 January 2026 DF Harry Barbrook Chelmsford City 1 July 2025 DF George Chenery Brantham Athletic August 2025 DF Henry Curtis Burgess Hill Town August 2025 DF Callum Frith Dartford 4 February 2026 DF Ayyuba Jambang Wingate & Finchley 23 September 2025 DF Daniel O'Connor Kerry 3 September 2025 MF Revin Domi Milton Keynes Dons 29 August 2025 MF George Iorpenda Huddersfield Town 8 August 2025 MF Emmanuel Okunowo Braintree Town 28 February 2026 MF Noah Rastrick Robert Morris Colonials 18 June 2025 MF Mathaeus Roberts Stevenage 23 July 2025 MF Luke Towler Norwich City 11 July 2025 FW Olly Davis Braintree Town 19 September 2025 FW Chuks Uzor-Greey Athletic Newham 1 July 2025 Women's team 30 June 2025 LB Maisy Barker Oxford United 2 July 2025 CB Grace Garrad Watford 19 July 2025 CB Evie Williams Norwich City 7 July 2025 W Angela Addison Durham 7 July 2025 W Issy Bryant Real Bedford 25 July 2025 SS Ella Rutherford Portsmouth 13 August 2025
New contracts Date signed Number Pos Nationality Player Contract length Expiry Ref First team 24 June 2025 26 CB Dara O'Shea 5 years 30 June 2030 4 July 2025 9 CF George Hirst 4 years 30 June 2029 22 August 2025 25 CB Elkan Baggott 2 years 30 June 2028 10 October 2025 14 CM Jack Taylor 3 years 30 June 2028 21 November 2025 3 LB Leif Davis 4 years 30 June 2029 28 January 2026 28 GK Christian Walton 2 years 30 June 2028 Academy 10 June 2025 – FW Jamie Mauge 2 years 30 June 2027 23 June 2025 – DF Fraser Heard Unknown length 24 June 2025 – FW Afikunoluwa Adebayo Unknown length 30 June 2025 – DF Josh Lewis Unknown length Women's team 22 July 2025 When the club announced the releases they also offered 14 contracts which were all announced as confirmed on the same day. These contracts went to Natalia Negri, Maria Boswell, Summer Hughes, Charlotte Fleming, Leah Mitchell, Natasha Thomas, Kyra Robertson, Lucy O’Brien, Nina Meollo, Sophie Peskett, Megan Wearing, Shauna Guyatt, Kaci-Jai Bonwick and Laura Hartley
Pre-season and friendlies On 6 June, Ipswich announced their first pre-season friendly of the 2025–26 campaign, taking on Bundesliga side FC Blau-Weiß Linz at the Hofmann Personal Stadion. This friendly will form part of Town's training camp during their stay in Austria. On 17 June, Town confirmed their next two pre-season friendly for the new campaign. The first being when they travel to the Pittodrie Stadium to take on Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen and the second when they take on Ligue 1 side AJ Auxerre at the Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps. On 27 June, Town announced their fourth friendly which sees them taking on fellow Championship side Charlton Athletic at the Colchester Community Stadium.
Competitions Overall record
Championship
League table
Results summary
Results by round
Matches The league fixtures were released on 26 June 2025.
FA Cup
As a Championship side, Ipswich entered the FA Cup in the third round and were drawn at home to Blackpool. Then away to Wrexham in the fourth round.
EFL Cup
As a recently relegated Premier League club, Ipswich would have normally entered in the second round. Due to the number of Premier League clubs taking part in Europe, the draw was made different this year with a preliminary round added for 4 clubs and Town now entering in the first round. On 26 June 2025, the first round draw was made with Ipswich being drawn away to Bromley.
Statistics Appearances and goals
|colspan="14"|Player(s) who featured but departed the club permanently during the season:
|colspan="14"|Player(s) who featured but currently out on loan:
Goalscorers