Everyone involved in the Ipswich Town squads who secured back-to-back promotions to the Premier League from League One will be fondly remembered by the entire Tractor Boys fanbase.
However, as the competition grew stronger following their promotion to the top flight, the heroes who brought them to the dance have seen their roles decrease to squad players, or even been phased out of the side altogether, as new faces joined the ranks.
Seven of Ipswich’s starting eleven for their opening day loss to Liverpool played in League One for the Tractor Boys, but players were replaced throughout the campaign, and as the club strives to make a swift return to the Premier League, they’ll likely be phased out even more.
Conor Chaplin may be one of those players. He’s been one of the fan favourites throughout the past few seasons, and many believe that he earned his bow in the Premier League last season, but perhaps the current squad has outgrown him, and it may be worth selling up ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
Conor Chaplin’s contract status may lead to Ipswich Town sale
Conor Chaplin signed a contract extension at Ipswich Town following his Golden Boot-winning League One campaign, where he bagged 26 goals en route to the side’s promotion to the Championship.
Capology estimates that the deal saw him earn £7,500 per week, but following the Tractor Boys’ promotion to the Premier League, this was doubled to £15,000 per week.
And, as Capology states that he is set to earn the same per week as last season, despite the club being a Championship side once more, a sale may be likely to ensure a decent bit of wage gets removed from the books for a player who may not start week in, week out.
| Conor Chaplin’s four seasons at Ipswich Town (league games only), per Transfermarkt | ||||
| Season | Division | Appearances (starts) | Goals | Assists |
| 2021/22 | League One | 39 (24) | 9 | 3 |
| 2022/23 | League One | 45 (41) | 26 | 5 |
| 2023/24 | Championship | 44 (42) | 13 | 9 |
| 2024/25 | Premier League | 22 (10) | 1 | 1 |
Additionally, Chaplin’s contract extension runs until the summer of 2026, which means that Ipswich could stand to lose him for free this time next season if a new deal isn’t made.
So, to ensure that the club earns some money for his services, a deal may be sanctioned.
Conor Chaplin likely won’t be first choice back in the Championship at Ipswich Town
Conor Chaplin was a staple of the Ipswich side which won promotion to the Premier League, the last time they were in the Championship, starting 42 games, scoring 13 and assisting a further nine.
However, this season Kieran McKenna comes into the new campaign with the 2023/24 top scorer in his ranks in Sammie Szmodics, who scored 27 for Blackburn Rovers that same season.
The purchase of Szmodics means that Chaplin fell to the bench for the majority of last season, starting just 10 games. And whilst the 28-year-old will see a return to the Championship as a chance to regain his form after a down year in the Premier League, there’s no guarantee that his starts will be as regular as they were two seasons ago.
Chaplin has been a great servant for Ipswich Town, and his rise from his start in League Two with Portsmouth to a Premier League goalscorer against Bournemouth is truly admirable.
But with the attacking midfielder earning a wage arguably higher than his expected output may be, and with just a year left on his current deal, a sale may be the smart choice this summer, even if it would be unpopular among Ipswich fans.
Chaplin himself needs to be playing regular football at the age of 28, but there are no guarantees that can be offered in 25/26. Both Chaplin and the club, then, may just have a big decision to make in the coming weeks.
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