Ipswich Town is close to finalizing a deal to appoint Gary O'Neil as their new head coach, following the departure of Kieran McKenna.
The newly promoted Premier League side is working to finalize terms before their opening match against Sunderland on August 22nd.
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The BBC reported that the 43-year-old O'Neil is poised to replace McKenna, who stepped down earlier this month.
Compensation with O'Neil's current club Strasbourg is still to be agreed, but is not expected to be an issue.
Tim Jenkins and Neil Critchley are also expected to move to Suffolk with O'Neil, having worked with him in France.
Strasbourg had been confident of keeping him after his January arrival, but O'Neil will return to the Premier League for the first time since leaving Wolves in December 2024.
McKenna's Farewell
Former manager Kieran McKenna expressed mixed emotions about his decision to leave after securing top-flight promotion.
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"It is with a mixture of gratitude, pride, sadness and contentment that I have decided to step down from the honour of managing this historic football club," McKenna said.
He added that after achieving a second promotion to the Premier League, he felt it was the right time to step aside, doing so with pride and optimism for the club's future.
McKenna reflected on the last five seasons as an incredible journey that brought many of the best experiences in his professional and personal life.
He now looks forward to taking a break from management to dedicate time to his family.
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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was also considered for the vacancy before Ipswich focused on O'Neil, who previously guided Strasbourg to an eighth-place finish in Ligue 1 and reached the Conference League semi-finals.
