Ipswich and Coventry must sign the Championship’s “best player”.

Ipswich Town and Coventry City can watch happily – not on the golf course, either – as the playoffs lottery continues, both safe in the knowledge that their Premier League status is already secured.

For the Bulls, it’s a second bite at manager Kieran McKenna’s cherry, with the Irishman’s ride looking set to continue after three promotions and one relegation so far.

As for Frank Lampard and his co-stars, the club’s recent incredible ascent has culminated in a taste of top-flight football since 2001, a fitting reward with yet another fine campaign under the Englishman’s watch.

After seeing the likes of Leeds United and Sunderland succeed in the recent trend of quick returns to the Championship, both clubs can hope to survive – provided they get their transfer business right, that is…

Ipswich and Coventry can look to Leeds and Sunderland for inspiration

As Ipswich fans will no doubt know, for a long time it looked as if the future was almost sealed before the start of the season, with all teams having been relegated in 2024/25 and 2023/24.

This trend has come to an end, thankfully, with Leeds and Sunderland showing how it’s done this season, benefiting from smart recruitment and faith in their managers.

The pair have also made significant signings in key areas, particularly in midfield, with Daniel Farke’s side bolstered by the £17m signing of Anton Stach from Hoffenheim.

The German midfielder has scored and assisted eight goals in the Premier League, while creating nine ‘big chances’, appearing as a key part of Farke’s machine.

It was a similar story at the Stadium of Light for Granit Xhaka, with the Black Cats’ £17m signing proving one of the more lucrative signings, given his impressive form on Wearside.

The Swiss star has scored seven goals and is helping himself after returning to England football, emulating Stach as he shows that promoted teams don’t have to break the bank to add quality to their squads.

Indeed, those should be the kind of midfield moves both Ipswich and Coventry look to make this summer.

Coventry and Ipswich could battle it out for the next Adam Wharton

The regular season is coming to an end, but summer recruitment will be under immediate scrutiny, especially with the upcoming World Cup disrupting things.

Ahead of their last trip to the Premier League, Ipswich are looking to secure the best talent the second tier has to offer, something they could look to replicate with Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney.

Failing his club’s playoff run – as things stand – Hackney could be on the move this summer by all accounts, with the Telegraph reporting he could be available for just £12m, given he has a year to run on his current deal.

As the report noted, McKenna’s side previously made a bid for the 23-year-old from Crystal Palace, while speculation earlier this month also suggested Coventry were on the sidelines.

Signing the promising Englishman, especially in a £12m deal, would be good business for both clubs, as Hackney have been “the best player in the Championship” this season, according to one podcaster, who is vying for the division’s player of the year award.

Boro’s number seven scored 12 goals and an assist for Kim Hellberg’s side, while creating eight ‘big chances’ and averaging 2.2 key passes per game – the fifth best record in the division for players who played in the final 50% of games.

Promotion to the Premier League would not be easy, although Hackney could follow in the footsteps of another rising England star, Adam Wharton, a 22-year-old who is thriving after leaving Blackburn Rovers at the start of 2024.

Like Hackney, Wharton is a versatile, developing midfielder, with his last half-season at Ewood Park seeing him register five goals and assists, while also averaging 1.3 key passes per game.

Just two years later, they are already FA Cup winners and potential Conference League champions, having already attracted a marquee move to the likes of Manchester United at the end of the season.

That Wharton exit has perhaps fueled the Eagles’ interest in Hackney, although both Ipswich and Coventry must have their own ambitions to sign the Championship’s most eye-catching talent.

It would be a risk given his lack of Premier League experience, although that was not a problem in Wharton’s case, with Palace reaping the rewards of their £20m investment.

A £12m transfer would be too good to turn down a promoted pairing, with McKenna the perfect coach to oversee the rise of such talent, having allowed the likes of Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson to flourish last season.

As for Lampard, there are few better figures to nurture England’s rising midfield star, and the battle for Hackney’s signature will be an interesting one this summer.