Ipswich Town entered January with a clear idea of what needed strengthening. The football was still good, the structure still strong, but the squad needed help in the final third.
A striker was the priority, and most of the month was spent trying to make that happen. The club pushed, explored options, and stayed patient, hoping the right deal would open up.
Anis Mehmeti arrived first. He’s sharp, brave, and carries the ball with intent. He gives Ipswich another way of breaking teams down, especially when the patterns stall.
He’s not the goalscorer supporters were hoping for, but he brings something different, a bit of unpredictability, a bit of spark.
Dan Neil, though, is the signing that genuinely solves a problem.
With Matusiwa covering huge amounts of ground every week, Ipswich needed another midfielder who could do the dirty work while still keeping the ball moving. Neil does exactly that.
He gives McKenna balance, he gives the squad depth, and he stops the midfield from being one injury away from a crisis. He’s not a striker, but he absolutely fixes a real issue that had been building.
So while the signings didn’t hit the headline need, they weren’t wasted moves. They strengthen the team in meaningful ways.
This is where the frustration sits. Ipswich didn’t ignore the problem; they went after serious targets.
Callum Wilson was the big swing. Proven, ruthless, experienced. The kind of signing that instantly changes a promotion push. Ipswich made their move, but the finances, the competition, and the Premier League safety net made it a difficult deal to land.
Patrick Bamford was the other major push. A player who fits McKenna’s style, links play, presses well, and brings a level of maturity to the front line. Talks happened. The interest was real. But Leeds weren’t keen to strengthen a rival, and the numbers never aligned.
After that, the options were either too expensive, too risky, or simply not good enough. Ipswich didn’t panic, which is admirable, but sometimes January demands a bit of chaos. This time, the door never opened.
And that’s the story of the window: the club knew what it needed, chased it, and still came up short.
Harry Clarke going out on loan makes sense for his development. He needs minutes, he needs rhythm, and he wasn’t going to get a run of games here. With the defensive options ahead of him, this is a move that suits everyone.
Cameron Humphreys needed a loan, too. Regular football will sharpen him up, and he’ll return better for it. Ipswich Town have enough midfield cover now, especially with Dan Neil arriving, so this doesn’t leave a hole.
And then there’s Sammie Szmodics, heading to Derby. He wasn’t central to McKenna’s plans, and the minutes simply weren’t there for him.
A loan gives him a chance to play, and it clears space in a squad that was starting to feel a little congested in the attacking midfield roles. It’s not a loss that changes the balance of the group; if anything, it streamlines things.
All three moves are sensible. None of them weakens the core of the squad. They’re the kind of loans that tidy the edges rather than take anything away.
It depends on how you judge it.
If you look at midfield balance, technical quality, and long‑term planning, then yes, Ipswich strengthened. Dan Neil especially gives the team something it badly needed, both as Matusiwa’s relief and as someone who can cover the Morsy responsibilities when required.
But if you judge the window on the one thing that could have changed the season’s ceiling, a striker, then the answer is simple: the job wasn’t finished.
Not a disaster. Not a meltdown. But not the window Ipswich Town wanted. They improved the squad, but not in the area that mattered most.
