Ipswich Town’s hands were tied, but 21-year-old needed a late summer exit

Ipswich Town’s hands were tied, but 21-year-old needed a late summer exit

Ipswich Town midfielder Cameron Humphreys could have done with a late summer exit, but could the club run the risk of letting him go?

Ipswich Town were doing business until late on transfer deadline day as Kieran McKenna’s squad was finalised for the first half of the season.

Ipswich Town saw significant change to their squad over the summer transfer window – perhaps more than initially thought

ITFC bid farewell to the likes of Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson in widely expected moves, but previous 2023/24 promotion mainstays also departed. Luke Woolfenden, Nathan Broadhead, Sam Morsy and Massimo Luongo were among those to exit.

Some sales were required and some players did want to go, either for more minutes or to take on new challenges away from Portman Road.

However, with the squad finalised for the coming months, one Ipswich Town man who may feel he needed a move elsewhere is young midfielder Cameron Humphreys.

Cameron Humphreys’ role at Ipswich Town

21-year-old Humphreys has been a highly rated young prospect at Ipswich Town for a good while. He first emerged in the senior picture in the early days of Kieran McKenna’s tenure.

His position on the fringes of the first-team squad upon promotion to the Premier League saw him loaned to Wycombe Wanderers for the 2024/25 campaign, and he thrived there. Humphreys was key in the Chairboys’ push for promotion and his performances were enough to arguably warrant a chance at regular Championship football.

He has been around McKenna’s squad early on, but with deals for Jens Cajuste and Marcelino Nunez addressing ITFC’s early midfield shortage, Humphreys has been pushed back down the pecking order.

His omission from the last two Championship match day squads displays he will likely be fifth choice behind Cajuste, Nunez, Azor Matusiwa and Jack Taylor. That will not benefit his development anywhere near as much as another loan would have.

Why Kieran McKenna would have been at risk if Humphreys left

Few will dispute that Humphreys would have benefitted from a new loan move this summer. Given his League One success, a chance with a Championship side could have been perfect for the Ipswich Town prospect. Failing that, another top-end third-tier club would have been good.

Unfortunately, McKenna and ITFC’s hands were tied.

Cajuste arrived in need of match fitness, so letting someone go while that was the case would have been a risk. Even then, going with four players to cover two starting XI positions puts you in a dangerous position if injuries and suspensions hit as the Championship campaign progresses.

Effectively, it means a fifth choice is needed, and Humphreys appears to be in that role for now. Chances may well arise and he certainly has the talent to take them, but McKenna will likely lean on the more experienced midfield options available to him.