It’s been an incredibly tough start to life in the top flight for Ipswich Town this season.
Kieran McKenna’s side had to play Liverpool and Manchester City in what has to have been the hardest set of opening fixtures in the league this year.
However, while the Tractor Boys couldn’t pick up a point in either game, they have since drawn against Fulham, Brighton & Hove Albion and Southampton and, in the process, have shown a dogged determination that may well keep them in the Premier League.
In fact, as their fans will attest, it’s this determination and drive to win that has seen them fly up the leagues in recent years, an ascent that has also seen a number of their players see their valuations soar.
Ipswich's rapid rise
It might seem absurd to some, but only two years ago, Ipswich would have just kicked off their fourth campaign in a row in League One, having finished down in 11th place the season prior after appointing McKenna midway through the season.
However, unlike the year before, the Blues would take the league by storm in the Northern Irishman’s first full season in charge, eventually ending up in second place and securing automatic promotion back to the Championship, where they had spent most of the last two decades.
Now, there was an expectation that the club would be competitive in the second tier, with the Guardian tipping them for a potential play-off fight, but very few, if any, pundits have them down as going up automatically, but that’s precisely what happened.
Over the course of the campaign, McKenna’s side were simply spectacular, winning 28 games, scoring 92 goals and ending on 96 points, which was just one behind champions Leicester City.
In all, the last two years have been sensational for Ipswich, and while they bought in some exciting talents over the summer, they can still rely on the players who have been with them since League One, including one whose valuation has skyrocketed in the last two seasons.
Conor Chaplin's valuation in 2024
Yes, the player in question is the talented attacker Conor Chaplin, who joined the club from Barnsley in July 2021 for an undisclosed fee that has since been revealed to be just £750k.
That fee has since proved to be an absolute bargain, as while the 27-year-old isn’t the biggest name in the team, he has been an effective player for the club and one that has made significant contributions to both promotions.
For example, in the club’s last season in League One, the “scintillating” star, as dubbed by EFL pundit Don Goodman, found the back of the net on 29 occasions and provided five assists to boot in 52 appearances across all competitions.
The Worthing-born ace kept up his brilliant form last season as well, scoring 13 goals and providing nine assists in 47 matches, meaning that over the two promotion-winning campaigns, the former Barnsley poacher averaged a goal involvement every 1.76 games.
Unsurprisingly, such an unreal run of form has seen his valuation explode, and according to Transfermarkt, he is now worth €7m, which converts to about £5.8m or a massive 673% increase on the fee he cost the club.
Appearances
152
Points per Game
1.84
Goals
54
Assists
17
Goal Involvements per Match
2.14
Ultimately, Ipswich have enjoyed an incredible couple of years, and while the main story is undeniably the back-to-back promotions, it’s great to see the players who have been with them from the beginning get the recognition they deserve.
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