After gaining automatic promotion from League One last season, Ipswich Town do not have much longer to wait until their Championship return
Indeed, the new EFL season is just a matter of weeks away, with the Tractor Boys set to kick off their campaign with a very tricky opening tie.
Kieran McKenna’s side travel north to face Sunderland away from home on August 6th in what should prove to be a cracking second-tier encounter.
There will likely be plenty of transfer business done in the coming weeks for both sides, all of whom will have big points to prove, no doubt.
That being said, there are already players at clubs with a point to prove heading into next season.
Below, we’ve identified three of them at Ipswich Town.
Dominic Ball
One player that could certainly fall under this category is midfielder Dominic Ball.
The 27-year-old joined the Tractor Boys on a free transfer last summer following his departure from QPR and looked a really strong addition at League One level.
However, Ball endured a difficult debut season at Portman Road.
Injuries plagued his start and then the middle of his season, which meant he was unable to force his way into the side as a regular starter when he was fit.
With 103 Championship appearances under his belt, the step up to the second tier will not phase Ball whatsoever, and he could be a real asset for Ipswich if he can stay healthy for the majority of the season.
It’s now down to Ball to prove his fitness and that he can force his way into Kieran McKenna’s plans.
With the two-year deal Ball signed last summer due to expire in 2024, it is a vital season for the midfielder’s Ipswich Town career.
Another Ipswich Town player with plenty to prove at the club in 2023/24 is another midfielder, Panutche Camara.
Camara joined the club last summer from Plymouth Argyle, and like Ball, looked a strong signing for the season ahead.
However, Camara arrived injured and went on to make just four appearances for the club as injuries continued to plague him throughout the campaign.
BossĀ Kieran McKenna has made it clearĀ that the club will look to loan the midfielder out this summer in order to get playing regularly again and with his contract up in 2024, it could prove to be a pivotal season in terms of whether or not the 26-year-old has a future at Portman Road.
Kayden Jackson
Last but certainly not least, the last player we’ve put under this category is Ipswich Town forward Kayden Jackson.
Now, Jackson featured plenty for the club last term, making 38 league appearances.
However, a lot of these outings came as a substitute, especially towards the end of the season.
With the club now in the Championship, Jackson’s involvement could potentially dwindle further, and like the others above, his contract is due to expire next summer.
As such, the 29-year-old has a point to prove to Ipswich in the sense that his performances next season have to show the club that he can be a valuable member of the squad, even at Championship level.
