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Brighton & Hove Albion are reportedly ready to part with £6 million to sign Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna, a Chelsea managerial target. The Northern Irishman has earned plaudits by leading Ipswich to consecutive promotions in as many seasons.
Both Brighton and the Blues are looking for new managers after parting ways with their respective bosses, Roberto De Zerbi and Mauricio Pochettino, following the end of the league campaign.
McKenna earned his managerial stripes by spending nearly six years with Manchester United under three different bosses: Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick. At 38, he's one of the youngest and most sought-after managers in English football after leading Ipswich - who were in League 1 in 2022-23 - jumped up two tiers to reach the Premier League.
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As per The Times, McKenna has emerged as one of the Blues' managerial targets following Pochettino's departure. However, Brighton - themselves looking for a successor to De Zerbi - are hopeful of landing the Northern Irishman ahead of the Blues.
They haven't made a formal approach to Ipswich but appear ready to agree McKenna's personal terms and also pay the aforementioned compensation amount.
The above source says that if Brighton cannot lure McKenna, former Blues boss Graham Potter could be their preferred option. He has been without work since leaving Stamford Bridge in April 2023.
A sneak peek at Chelsea's 2023-24 season
Chelsea overcame a slow start to produce a strong end to their 2023-24 campaign. With an expensively assembled roster, Mauricio Pochettino struggled for consistency amidst injuries to key players.
However, despite their league travails, the Blues fared well in both domestic cups. They lost to Liverpool in the EFL Cup final in extra time and to holders Manchester City in the FA Cup semifinal.
In the Premier League, they beat Bournemouth 2-1 on the final day on Sunday (May 19) - their fifth straight league win - to end the season in a creditable sixth-place and return to Europe after a season's absence.
