Ipswich Town players celebrate promotionIpswich finished second by beating QPR on the final day of the season (Image: Ross Halls)
IPSWICH TOWN
The promotion story
Not one that we need to go into great detail for. Town came into the campaign as title favourites, but a tumultuous summer meant that it took some time to click on the pitch.
There’s an argument that the Blues never really did, bar from a handful of games. Consistency was an issue, but they delivered in big moments throughout the run-in, having rarely been out of the top-two picture.
Ipswich are the only one of the relegated clubs to bounce back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, which deserves real praise, although the less said about the other two, the better.
Kieran McKenna will look to turn the Blues into an established top-flight club (Image: Ross Halls)
What the summer could look like
When compared to two years ago? Some similarities, some differences.
Expect a similar turnover, with maybe three or four starters from the Championship campaign playing week in, week out in the top flight. As a result, we’ll likely see around double digits for incomings.
But the recruitment approach will likely be different. Last time, it was Championship heavy, with players also brought in from relegated clubs and from the fringes of other top-flight sides. Those markets can’t be ignored, but they also can’t be relied upon in the same way.
I think Town will look to foreign recruitment, having seen the success that Sunderland and Leeds have had with that approach. New scouting recruitment will help with that. Adding height and physicality to the side will be important, especially in a league dominated by set pieces.
Kieran McKenna will have to learn from the last Premier League season, as will those who were involved in that campaign. There were plenty of valid excuses for relegation in 2024/25, but this will be different.
Town come up in a better place than the one they were in two years ago (Image: Steve Waller)
Verdict
The water levels have risen at Portman Road. Those on the fringes of the last Premier League team have moved on, and many of the regular starters from the Championship promotion-winning campaign may see minutes cut, with new stars signed over the summer to start. It’s brutal, but you’ve got to be ruthless. Mark Ashton and the ownership groups will be.
That’s just one part, however. Tactical tweaks will be required, and I back McKenna to make them. That should give Town a good chance of bridging the gap to the Premier League.
I think they are the best set of the three clubs to take on this jump, especially with infrastructure improvements and the new training ground opening over the summer.
Coventry secured the Championship title in convincing fashion (Image: PA)
COVENTRY CITY
The promotion story
A possible promotion dark horse in pre-season, Coventry proved everyone on by sealing the Championship title in comfortable fashion.
They really weren’t expected to do what they did. The appointment of Frank Lampard to replace Mark Robins was a real success, despite play-off heartbreak last season.
The Sky Blues sat top of the tree for the vast majority of the campaign, often swatting opponents aside with ease. A slight wobble after Christmas didn’t derail their plans – ending the season with 95 points and 97 goals scored.
Frank Lampard has had spells with Chelsea and Everton in the Premier League (Image: PA)
What the summer could look like
Doing this from the outside is tough, but Coventry’s team – on paper – doesn’t look like one that will easily transition to the top flight. Every area of the squad will need strengthening, while the likes of Haji Wright, Ephron Mason-Clark, Bobby Thomas and Milan van Ewijk will need to handle the step-up.
How deep are owner Doug King’s pockets? Promotion will allow them to spend, but clubs really have to throw serious cash around to be competitive at this level. We’ll get a better idea of their ambition when the transfer window opens.
Expect to see some Chelsea loanees at the CBS Arena, and there will surely be some players who enjoyed working with Lampard at Stamford Bridge (or possibly Everton) who will make the jump.
The manager’s tactical approach suited the Championship, although Ipswich exposed them over two games with a higher quality of individual quality. Lampard will either need to change his set-up, or the Sky Blues will need to transform their squad – or ideally both.
Recent links to the vacant Crystal Palace job do create real uncertainty, however.
The Sky Blues are back in the Premier League for the first time since 25 years (Image: PA)
Verdict
I’m not quite sure how Lampard will adapt to managing a team with a relatively weak squad for the division, and I have no clue what Coventry’s transfer approach will be like. I have real doubts over both at this stage.
With that in mind, I’m struggling to see the reasons why the Sky Blues would finish above the bottom three. Let’s see whether I feel the same way come August, but right now, they are the ones I’m most worried about.
Hull won promotion by beating Middlesbrough in the play-off final at Wembley (Image: PA)
HULL CITY
The promotion story
Hull started last season as a real rollercoaster team, having narrowly avoided relegation to League One in 2024/25. There were plenty of goals at both ends of the pitch, their form clearly wasn’t sustainable.
Despite sitting around the automatic promotion places, manager Sergej Jakirovic looked at performances and made important changes. They tightened up at the back, although it weakened them going forward.
Final-day victory against Norwich saw them sneak into the top six ahead of Wrexham and Derby. Millwall, Southampton and Middlesbrough had all shown much more than the Tigers had over a 46-game campaign, but that didn’t matter in the play-offs.
Hull turned up when Millwall didn’t, beating them over two legs. They had to change preparations to face Middlesbrough in the final following Southampton’s ‘Spygate’ expulsion, but Oli McBurnie’s stoppage-time strike sealed their place back in the Premier League, against all the odds.
Sergej Jakirovic will manage in the Premier League for the first time in his career (Image: PA)
What the summer could look like
Owner Acun Ilıcalı is a huge personality. He’ll be a welcome addition in the Premier League. I think it will be box office.
I also think that he’ll put loads of money into the club this summer, with whispers that extra Turkish investors could be coming on board following promotion from the Championship.
Hull’s transfer approach has been well-balanced so far. For every left-field foreign signing, they’ve added known quality in McBurnie, Joe Gelhardt and Liam Millar, among others.
Now add a load of money into that. I think the Tigers will go big and bring in the right players. That being said, the whole squad will need changing, apart from one or two. That’s a huge, huge task. On paper, this is one of the weakest squads to be promoted from the Championship in a long time.
Jakirovic’s current style of play should work really well in the Premier League, which could ease the transition of numerous new signings coming in (see Regis Le Bris at Sunderland). I’m excited to see how things unfold on Humberside in the coming weeks and months.
Owner Acun Ilicali is expected to invest heavily to improve the team (Image: PA)
Verdict
Hot take – if there’s one team I think could ‘do a Sunderland’ of this promoted trio, it’s Hull.
Don’t get me wrong, if this doesn’t go exactly to plan, there’s every chance that they pay the price and end up rock bottom of the league, given the changes required.
But with lıcalı’s money, with previous recruitment trends, and with Jakirovic at the helm, I think there’s every chance that they will be more than competitive in the Premier League. I certainly wouldn’t be writing off the Tigers at this early stage.