Ipswich Town Aims for Premier League Success with Stronger Foundations
Ipswich Town have been here recently enough to remember the bruises. The scars, as Mark Ashton calls them, have barely faded. But the chairman is adamant: this time, the club is going back to the Premier League to stay there – and it will not tiptoe in.
“We're going into the biggest and best league in the world again. It's where this club belongs – full stop – and we're going to have a right good go at it,” Ashton said, the message as much for the dressing room as for the fanbase.
Two years ago, Ipswich threw money and energy at survival. Fresh from ending a 22-year exile from the top flight, they spent £136.1m in fees on 16 players for the 2024/25 campaign. The wage bill shot up to £77.1m, still the lowest in the division by a distance, and the club never quite bridged the gap. Kieran McKenna’s side finished second bottom, with 22 points and only four wins to show for a season of toil.
Relegation forced some difficult decisions. Key figures Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson were sold, fan favourites moved on, and what Ashton calls “real legends of the club” departed. The club rebuilt. Quietly at first, then with gathering momentum, until Portman Road shook on the final day.
A 3-0 win over QPR sealed second place and automatic promotion. Ipswich were back at the “top table” again.
Learning from the scars
“I've said this before, the Premier League leaves scars, and some of those aren't visible,” Ashton reflected. “You give so much to get there, it's so tough when you get there, then you have to bounce again.
“There's been challenges. It's not been easy. Some fans' favourites, some real legends of the club, it was just their time to move, then we have to rebuild.
“We knew it was going to take time, and you've just got to keep trusting the process. Internally we did that, and you saw this team build and build and build and just come to boiling point on the last day of the season. But, yeah, I'm not going to hide away from it, it's been a challenge and it's been tough.”
This promotion has felt different. The romance of the underdog has gone; Ipswich now carry expectation.
“Last time we were the underdogs and everybody was almost willing us on,” Ashton said. “This time they're trying to shoot you down, and that's the nature of sport – they build you up, knock you down.”
That shift has been felt at Portman Road. Ipswich “hadn't won many games in the Premier League” at home last time, and a generation of supporters had never truly seen the old stadium at full roar in the top flight. That changed as McKenna’s side surged.
“Whilst the team has built, I think you've seen Portman Road build as well,” Ashton said. “And that culminated in just the most incredible noise and atmospheric kick-off on Saturday.”
Money, margins and a different approach
Behind the emotion sits cold arithmetic. The latest accounts show Ipswich have plenty of room within Financial Fair Play rules. Promotion will bring in more than £100m in extra revenue. The American ownership group has signalled it will back another major push.
“We've got a very supportive board who are taking this very seriously. They clearly want to stay,” Ashton stressed. “We need to make sure that we're all aligned in what that looks like, because we know it won't be easy and we know it won't be cheap.”
The club have not been shy in the market. Twelve players arrived in the summer of 2024, another 11 in 2025. Asked what sort of window he expects this time, Ashton did not bother dressing it up.
“Busy!” he replied. “Regards the number of signings, who knows, but the reality is it needs to be both quantity and quality.
“We've got to get that blend right between young development quality and people who have the ability and the know-how right now.”
That balance will define whether Ipswich simply visit the Premier League again or actually settle in. Ashton knows the model has to be smarter, sharper, less frantic than the last attempt.
Speaking to talkSPORT, he pointed towards the modern benchmarks for clubs of Ipswich’s size.
“It won't be easy, but I think you have to look at clubs like Brentford, Brighton, what Sunderland have done this year, Leeds have done, Nottingham Forest have done. That does give you hope.
“I think we'll have to take a different approach to it this year, particularly around player and talent recruitment. But we'll be front-footed. Our investors have already said they want to back to the hilt and we'll go again.”
Stronger foundations, same brutal league
Ipswich go back up with more than just belief. The club’s infrastructure has shifted since their last top-flight campaign.
“You know what? Things like the training ground being ready (multi-million pound Playford Road revamp on course for July opening), improved infrastructure, increased revenues – that all adds up. I just feel we have a stronger foundation to build from,” Ashton said.
“But it's still going to be very, very tough and we go into it under no illusions as to what we need to do. We have an amazing group of people behind the team though and I think we'll be in a good place to push on.”
That phrase – “no illusions” – hangs over everything. Ipswich have already discovered how unforgiving the Premier League can be, how quickly optimism can be shredded by reality. This time, they arrive with scars, a bigger budget, and a clearer idea of what survival costs.
What has not changed is Ashton’s conviction about where Ipswich should sit in the game.
“I'm forever grateful for this incredible fan base. What a club, what a town, what a county. The Premier League is where this club belongs. I've said that since we first joined in 2021. It's a very special club and it deserves its place at the top table.”
The money is coming. The recruitment drive will follow. The stadium is ready to roar again.
Now Ipswich must prove that this “right good go” is not just another visit, but the start of a permanent return.
