Ole Gunnar Solskjær is among the leading candidates to become Ipswich manager after Kieran McKenna stepped down last week. Ipswich now have a vacancy at Portman Road, and Solskjær sits high on the club's list as the search moves into a new phase.
Solskjær and O'Neil
Solskjær is being considered alongside Gary O'Neil, the Strasbourg boss who joined in January. Ipswich are weighing their options after McKenna's departure opened the door to a new head coach.
Solskjær managed Manchester United from 2018 to 2021 and led them to second in the Premier League in 2020-21. He took a break from management after leaving Manchester United in 2021, then was keen for a quick return after his exit from Besiktas last summer.
McKenna's Ipswich record
McKenna took charge of Ipswich in 2021 and guided them back to the Premier League by finishing second in the Championship last season. His spell brought three promotions in four seasons, with two of those promotions taking Ipswich into the top flight.
He said, "I feel this is the right time for me to step aside," and added, "I do so with great pride at the incredible progress we have made and with huge hope and optimism for the future of the club." Those words leave Ipswich looking for a replacement who can handle a side that has already moved fast under his leadership.
Portman Road links
Solskjær also has a direct connection to two figures inside the Ipswich story. McKenna worked under him at Manchester United, and Martyn Pert did as well, while Mark Ashton was familiar with O'Neil from their time together at Bristol City.
Solskjær was overlooked for a return to Old Trafford last season in favour of Michael Carrick, with Manchester United preferring not to appoint someone who had done the job before. That leaves Ipswich weighing a coach with Premier League experience against a rival candidate already known to people at the club.
For Ipswich, the decision now sits on who can build on McKenna's momentum rather than restart from scratch. The shortlist already points to two very different routes, with Solskjær's United pedigree and O'Neil's recent work at Strasbourg giving the club a clear choice to make.
