Football
Exclusive: Ipswich Town Boss Kieran McKenna Wanted by Brentford Following Departure of Thomas Frank to Spurs
Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna is wanted by Brentford following Thomas Frank's departure to Spurs. McKenna is the Bees' top choice, with Sean Dyche and Steve Cooper also being considered. Brentford are eager to secure a new manager before the transfer window opens. McKenna is excited about the opportunity to work with a squad aiming for European football.
Newcastle United FC v Ipswich Town FC - Premier League by Alex Livesey | Getty Images
Brentford have identified Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna as their number one target to become their new manager, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.
Thomas Frank left the club after seven years in charge to take over at Tottenham Hotspur yesterday, leaving the Bees without a boss.
And our sources have learnt the West London club have moved quickly to reach out to McKenna’s representatives about the possibility of luring him to the Gtech Community Stadium.
The Bees are also understood to be considering Sean Dyche, the former Everton and Burnley boss, and ex-Nottingham Forest and Leicester City manager Steve Cooper on their compact shortlist for Frank’s success.
But McKenna, who was linked to the Manchester United job before Ruben Amorim eventually landed the role, is understood to be the Bees favourite choice of candidates as they look to put a new manager in place ahead of next season.
And there is an urgency from the club, who finished tenth in the Premier League this season, especially with the transfer window set to re-open on Monday and work to be done on trying to attract new signings ahead of next term.
The future of star forward Bryan Mbeumo remains uncertain after the Bees knocked back the Red Devils initial £45million plus £10m in add-on deal.
SPURS RUMOUR
And already the Cameroon international has been linked with a move to Spurs and joining up with his former boss Frank.
But for the Bees, getting McKenna in place in the next couple of weeks remains their priority.
However, last season was a season to forget for McKenna and the Tractor Boys are they were ruthlessly relegated from the Premier League.
Having guided the club to a memorable promotion the season prior, McKenna experienced first-hand how hard it is to compete in the top-flight.
But the Bees are now looking to hand the highly-rated coach another chance to prove his worth in the Premier League.
And with a squad littered with star talent, McKenna is understood to be excited about working with a club who have real ambitions of challenging for European football next season.
Neil has been a journalist for longer than he'd care to remember, having written for national newspapers and respected publications for over 25 years. For the last three years he has worked freelance for BBC Sport, working on the production desk as a sub-editor and also as a writer, covering a whole range of sports.