Ipswich Town is on the verge of appointing Gary O'Neil as their new head coach, aiming to fill the vacancy left by Kieran McKenna, who recently stepped down from his position at Portman Road.

The 43-year-old O'Neil is expected to finalize his move soon, although compensation with his current club, Strasbourg, is still pending. However, it is anticipated that this will not pose a significant obstacle for the Tractor Boys.

Joining O'Neil at Ipswich are likely to be Tim Jenkins and Neil Critchley, both of whom have previously worked alongside him in France. The club had also considered former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for the role earlier this week.

O'Neil has garnered admiration from Ipswich's hierarchy, especially after guiding Strasbourg to an impressive eighth place in Ligue 1 last season and reaching the Europa Conference League semi-finals, marking a historic achievement for the club.

His connection to Ipswich runs deep, having played for Bristol City when current Ipswich chief executive Mark Ashton held a similar role at Ashton Gate.

Despite Strasbourg's initial confidence in retaining him following his arrival in January, O'Neil is set to return to the Premier League for the first time since departing Wolves in December 2024.

Ipswich is in search of a new head coach after McKenna stepped down last week, despite successfully guiding the team back to the top flight by finishing second in the Championship last season. McKenna, who took charge in 2021, expressed pride in the club's progress and his decision to step aside to focus on family.