Ipswich Town: Mark Ashton addresses potential player sales following relegation.

Ipswich Town chairman Mark Ashton insists there won’t be a mass player exodus after their Premier League relegation.

Ipswich Town spent over £120 million on 16 signings across the last two transfer windows in a bid to stay in the Premier League. Despite that heavy investment, the club was relegated, and their most successful signing, Liam Delap—who scored 12 goals—is now close to leaving after Chelsea activated his £30 million release clause. Fellow England U21 forward Omari Hutchinson also reportedly has a £35 million clause, while players like Leif Davis, Ben Johnson, and George Hirst are attracting Premier League interest.

Chairman Mark Ashton, however, insists that a massive clear-out isn’t coming.

 “There’s always a natural churn, but I don’t see that being huge,” Ashton said. “You’ve got to retain because we’re going to have suitors for players. So, as much as you’ve got to recruit, you’ve got to retain.”

Ashton emphasized that only a few players may be sold to allow the club flexibility, not because of financial pressure.

 “We’re not into fire sales. We haven’t got to sell a multitude of players, but one or two will be traded out to give us headroom and allow us to move forward.”

Five of Ipswich’s 12 summer signings last year came in August. With an earlier window and more clarity about their Championship status, Ashton says the club is already deep into negotiations.

 “We’re onto deals now. The earlier we get players in, the better, especially with someone like Kieran \[McKenna], who’s excellent at player development.”

McKenna echoed Ashton’s confidence about keeping the squad together, saying he is “very confident” the core group will stay intact for the 2025/26 campaign.

The club’s retained list revealed ongoing talks with Axel Tuanzebe and Cameron Burgess over new deals, while Massimo Luongo and Marcus Harness have been released.

Ashton added that fans shouldn’t expect another wave of signings like last summer.

 “No, I wouldn’t expect 12 signings. We want to maintain the bulk of the squad. Like our transition from League One to the Championship, success came from staying calm and steady.”