It wasn’t just Chelsea’s end of season awards last night – Ipswich Town also had theirs, and a Chelsea man played a big part.
Omari Hutchinson had a quiet start to his loan in East Anglia, but as the season went on, manager Kieran McKenna brought him in bit by bit, and by the end of the season Hutchinson was a key player for them, notably scoring the goal to seal their promotion in the final week.
A great comedy moment at their awards saw McKenna asked what he wanted for his birthday from Mark Ashton, the club’s owner.
“Omari!” the coach replied, to great mirth in the audience.
You can see the moment in the video embedded here:
Ipswich Town’s manager, Kieran McKenna, is celebrating his birthday next week. He was asked at Ipswich’s end of the season award show what he would want Mark Ashton, the owner, to buy for him as a present.
His response, “Omari!!” 😂#CFC #ITFC pic.twitter.com/03FX3sp1yu
— Chelsea Loan Army (@ChelseaIoanArmy) May 7, 2024
A big decision for winger
Chelsea now have a dilemma on their hands. They loaned out Omari to get first team experience, and he’s looked great. But do they now sell him to newly promoted Ipswich while they desperately want him and his value is high? Or do they loan him out another year and hope he can become even better and even more valuable?
Or do they try to integrate him into the first team? There’s not much of a pathway given all the players currently ahead of him, but it would be foolish to not even give him a try. There are reports that Mauricio Pochettino has “summoned” the England youth player so he can get a look at him, and it will be very interesting to see what he concludes having worked with him up close.
Even if the club do decide to sell, there is no rush on that front. A loan, perhaps with a pricey option to buy, could suit everyone. That protects Ipswich if they go right down, gets Chelsea more money for their player, but also gives him the chance to make the move if it suits everyone in a year’s time.
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