Ipswich Town Nears Appointment of Gary O’Neil as Manager

Ipswich Town are closing on Gary O’Neil as their choice to replace Kieran McKenna, with confirmation of the 43-year-old’s arrival expected in the coming days.

Local outlets the East Anglian Daily Times and Ipswich Star report that personal terms are close to being agreed, with an official approach to BlueCo, the ownership group behind Strasbourg, set to follow. Inside the club, there is no expectation of late drama: Ipswich do not anticipate any issues in finalising the appointment.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had also been under serious consideration for the Portman Road job, but the club’s focus has now locked firmly on O’Neil.

It marks a swift return to English football for a coach whose reputation has been built on navigating turbulence. O’Neil’s first crack at Premier League management came at Bournemouth in the 2022/23 season, where he dragged the Cherries clear of relegation trouble in a campaign that looked destined for a grim ending. He stabilised a side many had written off, only to be replaced by Andoni Iraola once safety was secured.

Wolves came next. O’Neil walked into Molineux amid financial constraints and uncertainty, yet his time there ended abruptly when he was sacked in December 2024. Talks over a surprise return to Wolves in November 2025 were held, but he ultimately withdrew from the process, choosing not to revisit a job he had already lived once.

Instead, his path took him to France. At Strasbourg, O’Neil rebuilt his momentum in just six months. He steered the club to the semi-finals of the UEFA Conference League and an eighth-place finish in Ligue 1, achievements that did not go unnoticed back in England. That European run, combined with a solid domestic campaign, has strengthened his image as a coach capable of organising and energising a squad quickly.

Now Ipswich want that energy at Portman Road.

O’Neil is expected to bring familiar faces with him. Tim Jenkins and Neil Critchley, part of his staff during his spell at the Stade de la Meinau, are set to join his backroom team if the deal is completed as planned. Continuity behind the scenes has become a key part of his management style, and Ipswich appear ready to hand him the structure he wants.

The formalities still need to be ticked off with BlueCo, but the direction of travel is clear: Ipswich Town are preparing for the Gary O’Neil era.