O’Neill begins shaping Ipswich squad
Gary O’Neill’s arrival at Ipswich Town always promised movement. A new manager, a three-year contract, a club returning to the Premier League, a summer stretching out in front of them with all its danger and possibility.
According to SportsBoom, one of his first major transfer targets could be Southampton winger Tom Fellows, a player O’Neill is said to have admired for some time.
Fellows, still only 22, feels like the sort of signing designed not merely for survival, but for identity. Ipswich cannot afford to approach the Premier League as tourists. They need legs, imagination, bravery and players willing to run at full-backs when the air gets thin.
Photo: IMAGO
Fellows fits Ipswich transfer profile
The Birmingham-born attacker joined Southampton from West Bromwich Albion in August 2025, in a deal worth a reported £8million plus £2million in add-ons. He signed a four-year contract, which means Southampton have protection, but their failure to win promotion has changed the landscape.
Fellows played 37 Championship matches last season and was one of Southampton’s brighter attacking sparks. His appeal is obvious. He can operate wide, inside, or as a more advanced creator. He carries the ball well, has pace, and brings the directness Premier League managers increasingly crave.
Premier League chance may tempt winger
SportsBoom report that Everton and Leeds United had already shown interest earlier this year, which underlines the wider admiration for Fellows. He is also a UEFA European Under-21 Championship winner with England, which adds further weight to the feeling that his ceiling may be higher than the Championship.
Before Southampton, Fellows made 85 senior appearances for West Brom and was named the club’s Player of the Year twice. That matters. This is not a prospect built only on academy promise. He has played, carried responsibility and produced under pressure.
For Ipswich, the question is whether…
..
