Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Gary O'Neil have emerged as the frontrunners to take over as head coach at Ipswich Town, following the departure of Kieran McKenna last week.

Solskjaer, the former Manchester United manager, is high on the Tractor Boys' shortlist to fill the vacancy at Portman Road. The Norwegian stepped away from management after leaving Old Trafford in 2021, before taking charge of Besiktas — a spell that ended last summer. He has since been eager to return to the dugout.

Solskjaer was passed over for a comeback at Manchester United last season, with the club ultimately opting for Michael Carrick — reportedly preferring not to reappoint someone who had previously held the role. Notably, McKenna worked under Solskjaer, alongside assistant Martyn Pert, during the 2020-21 campaign when Manchester United finished second in the Premier League.

O'Neil also in the picture

BBC Sport first reported Ipswich's interest in O'Neil earlier this month. The Strasbourg head coach has long attracted admiration from the club's hierarchy, with ties running deeper than football alone — he played at Bristol City when current Ipswich chief executive Mark Ashton served as CEO there.

Strasbourg had been confident of retaining O'Neil, who only joined the French club in January, but he remains firmly in contention for the Ipswich job.

McKenna's remarkable exit

The search for a new manager comes after McKenna made the surprise decision to step down, despite having steered Ipswich back to the Premier League by finishing second in the Championship last season. The 40-year-old had taken charge of the club in 2021 and masterminded three promotions across four seasons — including two that returned the Tractor Boys to the top flight.

McKenna had also been linked with the Fulham vacancy following Marco Silva's departure, but chose to walk away from management entirely for personal reasons.