Ipswich Town left it late to pick up a point against the ever-ambitious Birmingham City on Friday evening in the Championship opener.
Jay Stansfield got Blues’ season off to the perfect start as he fired in, handing his side the lead in the second-half against a side who look likely to be pushing for the title this campaign.
However, George Hirst ensured that Kieran McKenna’s return to the second tier did not end in defeat as he equalised from the penalty spot in added time to hand the Tractor Boys a point at a raucous St. Andrew’s.
Ipswich and McKenna still have plenty of work to do on their squad, with new signings being targeted while one goalkeeper may well be on his way out of the club sooner rather than later.
Ipswich Town in talks with Sassuolo over potential Arijanet Muric exit
Alex Palmer has once again been chosen as the Tractor Boys’ first-choice goalkeeper for the 2025/26 season, with Christian Walton playing back-up while David Button is also ready as reserve.
Arijanet Muric of Ipswich Town participates in the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Ipswich Town and Bristol Rovers
However, this has left Arijanet Muric on the fringes of the squad and now it has been reported by Luca Bendoni that Italian outfit Sassuolo are in contact with Ipswich about a move for the Kosovan international.
Muric played 18 times in the Premier League last season but kept just one clean sheet as his side were relegated to the Championship.
It was the second time in two seasons that the 26-year-old had finished in the bottom three in the top flight, having done so with Burnley in 2023/24 and now a move away from England is on the cards.
Kieran McKenna has a stacked goalkeeping department
With so many senior goalkeepers, it seemed likely that Muric was always going to lose out. McKenna made no secret of the fact that there could be some changes to that particular department.
When asked in July if the ex-Burnley shot-stopper could force his way into his plans this season, he said (via: East Anglian Daily Times): “Yeah, everything’s possible. Aro’s a really, really talented goalkeeper. He showed that in spells last year and in certain games last year.
Arijanet Muric of Kosovo is in action during the UEFA Nations League Play-offs 1st leg game between Kosovo and Iceland
“So, yeah, we have four senior goalkeepers at the moment and pre-season is there for people to compete. We need at least three really strong senior goalkeepers in the building. We’ll see how it plays out over the remainder of the summer.”
However, better options are seemingly already in place, and the experience of Button perhaps gives him the edge over Muric, who will want regular minutes and a move away looks destined.
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