Ipswich Town’s summer transfer business has seen mixed levels of success so far, with Liam Delap an obvious rip-roaring plus up top having scored five Premier League goals already after sealing a move away from Manchester City.
But, there have been hiccups away from the 21-year-old immediately hitting the ground running, with the Tractor Boys not utilising the loan market that effectively in the example of Kalvin Phillips.
The ex-Leeds United man has struggled to adapt to his new surroundings, with the Premier League new boys still hopeful he can go down as a gamble worth going after, as they have welcomed a whole host of exciting loanees to the club over the years.
Ipswich's best ever loan signings
When plying their trade regularly in the EFL, Ipswich managed to strike gold time after time with loanees entering the building and proving their worth, with one face even calling Suffolk his temporary home three times on a loan basis.
Daryl Murphy is still held in high regard at Portman Road to this day, as the notorious sharp shooter managed to bag a respectable 67 strikes from 225 games donning Ipswich blue, ultimately penning a permanent deal to rack up so many appearances.
Moreover, other names such as Tom Lawrence and Ryan Fraser will spring to mind from yesteryear as classy short-term pick-ups, with the current Rangers attacker managing a ridiculous 22 goal contributions from 36 games at Portman Road, whilst his 5 foot 4 counterpart helped himself to six goals and six assists during the 2015/16 campaign.
Those more fixed on the here and now – away from nostalgia – would also throw the likes of Omari Hutchinson into the mix, as the ex-Chelsea man contributed massively to McKenna’s men leaping up to the Premier League with 11 goals and six assists, so much so that he cost the Suffolk side £20m to acquire for good in the summer.
But, Ainsley Maitland-Niles might well be a forgotten presence on this list of memorable former loan players, despite starring at Portman Road during his short one-season stay.
Maitland-Niles' time at Ipswich
It has been nearly ten years ago since Maitland-Niles first pulled on a Tractor Boys jersey under the watchful eye of Mick McCarthy, with the Arsenal youngster – who McCarthy hailed as “outstanding” at the time – joining the ranks ahead of the 2015/16 season.
He would go on to make 32 appearances interchanging between playing down the left flank or right flank, with three goals and two assists also coming his way, in a move that was no doubt formative for the Hale End academy product at the time.
Date
Value
2024
£7.4m
December 2023
£4.1m
November 2022
£6.6m
December 2021
£9.9m
December 2019
£14.9m
December 2018
£5.8m
October 2017
£1.2m
April 2016
£623k
The then-teenager was ultimately largely exiled in the latter months of that loan stint amid reports of an off-field incident, although that did not stop speculation that the club were keen to re-sign him for the following campaign.
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As it is, he would never look back after this Ipswich spell, with Maitland-Niles’ value shooting all the way up to a hefty £14.9m only three years on from his Tractor Boys adventure ending, having found regular game time in and around the first-team set-up easier to come by at the Emirates Stadium.
Mikel Arteta would even wax lyrical that the homegrown Gunners star possessed “huge talent” in 2021, with Ipswich left to ponder whether their former loan star could be of any use in the here and now, potentially offering a different body away from Phillips in central midfield, alongside gifting McKenna more flexibility of choice all over the pitch.
Even with his time in North London fizzling out towards the end – with 132 senior games under his belt at Arsenal by the time of his departure – Maitland-Niles has been able to breathe life back into his playing days in France on the books of Olympique Lyonnais, which has resulted in his value soaring back up to £7.4m recently after it took a hit last year.
Consequently, the 27-year-old’s price has increased by 1066% since his stint in Suffolk occurred – having stood at just £623k at the time – with the Tractor Boys playing a minor role in his explosion in the men’s game.
Whilst Maitland-Niles has gone on to be a success, it remains to be seen whether Phillips will end up better off from his time at Portman Road, potentially going down as a loan misfire over a stroke of genius subsequently.
Ipswich should regret letting England international leave Suffolk for £0
Ipswich must rue allowing the star to leave the club.
ByEthan LambOct 23, 2024