Ipswich Town Nears Appointment of Gary O’Neil as Manager
Ipswich Town are closing on Gary O’Neil as their choice to succeed Kieran McKenna, with the club expecting to confirm the 43-year-old’s appointment in the coming days.
Local outlets the East Anglian Daily Times and Ipswich Star report that personal terms with O’Neil are close to being agreed. Once that final detail is in place, Ipswich are set to make a formal approach to BlueCo, the ownership group that controls Strasbourg. Inside Portman Road, there is no sense of looming drama: the club do not expect any late complications.
From contender list to leading man
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was among the names seriously considered for the role, the former Manchester United manager featuring prominently in Ipswich’s early thinking. The search has now narrowed, and O’Neil has moved to the front of the queue.
His résumé is not flashy, but it is battle-tested.
O’Neil first stepped into the Premier League spotlight with Bournemouth in the 2022/23 season. Thrown into a relegation fight, he steadied a listing side and guided the Cherries to safety, a rescue act that won plenty of admirers. He was still replaced at the end of that campaign by Andoni Iraola, a reminder of how ruthless Premier League decision-making can be.
Wolves turned to him next. His time at Molineux ended with his sacking in December 2024, a harsh cut in a volatile environment. It later emerged that Wolves sounded him out again in November 2025 about a possible return, only for O’Neil to pull out of those talks himself. He chose a different path.
European pedigree from Strasbourg
That path led to France and Strasbourg, and it has sharpened his reputation.
In just six months at the Stade de la Meinau, O’Neil pushed Strasbourg into the semi-finals of the UEFA Conference League and delivered an eighth-place finish in Ligue 1. For a club still finding its feet under BlueCo’s ownership, that run in Europe and solid league campaign felt like a statement of intent — and a clear sign of O’Neil’s tactical and organisational edge.
Those achievements have not gone unnoticed in Suffolk. Ipswich are targeting a manager who has already shown he can navigate the chaos of the Premier League and handle the different demands of European competition.
Backroom team already taking shape
O’Neil is not expected to arrive alone. He is set to bring Tim Jenkins and Neil Critchley with him, key figures from his Strasbourg staff. Both are familiar with his methods and would offer continuity as he attempts to impose his ideas quickly at Portman Road.
For Ipswich, the move marks a decisive step into a new era after McKenna’s impressive spell. For O’Neil, it is another chance to prove that his sharp work in survival battles and on the European stage can form the backbone of a long-term project in English football.
Now it comes down to signatures and final approvals. If all goes as Ipswich expect, Portman Road’s next chapter will be written under Gary O’Neil.
