Kieran McKenna has been the centre of attention in the EFL this season as newly-promoted Ipswich Town are flying high in the Championship, sitting pretty in second place.
The Northern Irishman is currently the youngest manager across the top four divisions of English football and is looking to guide the Tractor Boys back to the Premier League for the first time in over two decades.
A 4-2 victory over third-place Preston North End widened the gap between second and third to eight points heading into the international break and there has been a lot of talk about the 37-year-old manager’s future at Portman Road.
Last week, The Sun reported that Crystal Palace have identified McKenna and Lille boss Paulo Fonseca as replacements for Roy Hodgson at the end of the season when the veteran’s contract runs out.
However, Palace, and any other suitors, will have to pay handsomely for McKenna’s services. The Sun are claiming that the former Manchester United coach has a £4 million buyout clause in his current contract with the Championship outfit.
Furthermore, the outlet have revealed that McKenna is on £25,000 per week, equating to £1.3 million over a year, having signed a new four-year deal with the club during the summer.
The Daily Record reported in June that McKenna was a target for Scottish champions Celtic after Ange Postecoglou left his post to join Tottenham Hotspur, but the club opted to appoint former boss Brendan Rodgers instead.
Writer’s View
McKenna is one of the best managers in English football right now so it’s no surprise that clubs in the Premier League are keeping an eye on Ipswich Town’s progress this season.
However, if the young coach can pull off the unthinkable and achieve an unprecedented promotion to the top flight, it seems unlikely that McKenna would even want to leave Portman Road in the first place.
