Why Do So Many Premier League Clubs Want Kieran McKenna?

COVENTRY, ENGLAND - APRIL 30: Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna during the Sky Bet Championship ... [+] match between Coventry City and Ipswich Town at The Coventry Building Society Arena on April 30, 2024 in Coventry, England.(Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Kieran McKenna was already looking forward to a season in the Premier Premier League. The 38-year-old guided Ipswich Town to English soccer’s top flight by finishing second in the Championship just 12 months after winning League One. The Tractor Boys rise has been remarkable and McKenna is the one in the driver’s seat.

He could, however, have a new job before the start of next season if recent reports are to be believed. Indeed, Brighton, Chelsea and Manchester United are all reportedly interested in McKenna with the former two clubs in the market for a new manager. United could also enter that marketplace if it fires Erik ten Hag after Sunday’s FA Cup final.

McKenna is clearly talented, but it’s unusual that so many elite level clubs are scrambling over the services of a manager who hasn’t even coached a top division match. Ipswich Town is McKenna’s first senior management position and is still a relative novice when compared to some of the other managers currently working in the Premier League.

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 19: Mauricio Pochettino, Manager of Chelsea, looks on at full-time following ... [+] the team's victory in the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and AFC Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on May 19, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

Under McKenna, Ipswich has become one of the most attractive, entertaining teams in the country. The Tractor Boys play a brand of possession soccer that also allows for pragmatism. Ipswich likes to play through opponents with the ball, but it will also go direct when the circumstances call for it.

Having worked at Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur as a coach, McKenna has proved himself on the training pitch. He is a hands-on manager in the way most modern managers are and is accustomed to working in a larger sporting structure beneath a front office. This makes McKenna attractive to many clubs.

Chelsea and Manchester United, however, could engulf McKenna. Mauricio Pochettino has only just left Stamford Bridge after struggling to handle the internal politics within the club while United has earned itself a reputation in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era for being the most volatile organisation in English soccer.

BRIGHTON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 29: Graham Potter manager of Chelsea looks on during the Premier League ... [+] match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Chelsea FC at American Express Community Stadium on October 29, 2022 in Brighton, United Kingdom. (Photo by MB Media/Getty Images)

It would make most sense for McKenna to join Brighton as the next step in his promising managerial career. The Seagulls have a scouting and recruitment network that allows the south coast club to punch above its weight in the transfer market with Brighton also known for its progressive approach to hiring managers - see Graham Potter and Roberto De Zerbi. McKenna would fit the bill.

Potter clearly made the wrong career choice by making the move to Chelsea too early in his managerial development and McKenna would be wise to see this as a cautionary tale. The 38-year-old has a bright future ahead of him and will have other, potential better-suited, job offers in the future.