Ipswich need to match Coventry to sign ‘perfect’ star

Ipswich Town and Coventry City learned Hull City will join the Premier League after the Tigers won the play-off final at Wembley on Saturday.

The Tractor Boys and Sky Blues have a slight advantage over Hull heading into the summer transfer window as they have had an extra two weeks to prepare.

However, everything will depend on how they execute their transfer plan and whether they can build a team that can compete in the top flight.

This season, for example, Sunderland finished ahead of both Leeds, who also stayed, and relegated Burnley, after winning last year’s Championship play-offs.

Now, Ipswich and Coventry should take note of how the Black Cats have adapted to the Premier League ahead of the summer window.

What Ipswich and Coventry can learn from Sunderland’s Premier League success

Sunderland knew there was a huge gap in quality between the Championship and the Premier League, so they decided to bring in some experienced players.

They signed Nordi Mukiele from PSG for £9.5m and Granit Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen for £13m, two players who have won titles in Europe’s major leagues and have extensive experience in the Champions League.

Xhaka in particular is the kind of player Ipswich and Coventry need. He made 225 Premier League appearances for Arsenal early in his career, meaning he entered England’s top flight as an experienced player.

Described by pundit Micah Richards as the “driving force” of the season, the Swiss international was a consistent performer in the middle of the park, helping the team survive and return to a successful first season.

Coventry are now reportedly interested in signing a player similar to Sunderland’s Xhaka, and Ipswich will need to match his signature.

Ipswich need to match Coventry to sign Granit Xhaka

TEAMtalk recently reported that Coventry are keen to sign Manchester United playmaker Mason Mount on loan, but the Red Devils are willing to allow him a break to get back to his best form.

The England international, who was not selected by manager Thomas Tuchel in his squad for the next World Cup, ended the season after playing just 12 Premier League starts for United, playing minutes behind Bruno Fernandes in the number 10 role.

Mount has almost as much Premier League experience as Xhaka and will arrive at Coventry and Ipswich as a proven talent at that level and a player who can be fully expected to deliver quality performances.

It’s also possible that one of them could help him get back to his best form when he was at Chelsea and a regular for England at international level.

Mount played 195 games in all competitions for the Blues, scoring 33 goals and providing 37 assists, winning the Champions League in 2021, including a return in 2021/22 with 13 goals and 16 assists.

Like Xhaka, the English star has played at the top level, winning domestic and European trophies, and will arrive at either Coventry or Ipswich as the most experienced players.

Both promoted teams need players who can perform week in and week out in the Premier League, but it remains to be seen whether Jacques Rudoni and Marcelino Nunez have what it takes to perform in the top division.

Signing a quality player like Mount, especially on loan, would be a huge boost for Coventry and Ipswich if they can get a deal over the line in the upcoming summer transfer window.

However, Coventry have an advantage over Ipswich in terms of the attacking midfielder, as Frank Lampard coached him at Derby County and Chelsea, and could use their relationship with him to broker a move to the Sky Blues.

But as unlikely as it may seem on paper, the Tractor Boys must try to beat Coventry to his signature this summer. Because he has all the characteristics of a player who could be his version of Xhaka at Portman Road.