Alan Nixon estimates that it could cost a prospective new club up to £4 million to lure the former Manchester United coach away from Portman Road.
Ipswich has been a standout team in the Championship so far this year, and their success has put them in the running for automatic promotion.
This comes after the club was promoted from League One to the second tier in May.
Ipswich returned to the second division after a four-year absence under McKenna’s leadership as the team finished second last season.
McKenna was reportedly included on Crystal Palace’s shortlist of prospective new managers, a Premier League team.
Even though Roy Hodgson is doing a good job with the London club, the Eagles are getting ready for a time without the 76-year-old because he will probably be retiring at some point soon.
But Palace might not be the only team considering hiring McKenna at some point in the foreseeable future.
No other teams have come to light as potential destinations for the team’s next move, but their incredible performance in the Championship is sure to draw interest.
The Ipswich hierarchy has put a price on his head in case that happens, so they are planning ahead.
To persuade the Suffolk organization to let the 37-year-old leave Portman Road should he choose would cost any interested parties up to £4 million.
If not, Ipswich won’t be as willing to give up one of their most valuable assets.
The most money ever spent on a manager was over £20 million when Bayern Munich acquired Julien Nagelsmann from RB Leipzig.
Graham Potter from Brighton was acquired by Chelsea for a comparable sum, but £4 million is still a significant sum for a manager in the Championship.
After joining the team in December 2021, McKenna is about to celebrate his second anniversary at Ipswich.
At Man United, he had previously held coaching positions with the youth program and the backroom staffs of Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Before they both went on to become head coaches in their own right, McKenna and Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick were teammates.
Ipswich is currently second in the Championship, trailing leaders Leicester City by only two points and Preston North End by eight points.
Ipswich’s promotion challenger this season has been built in large part by McKenna, so losing him would be devastating.
The difference between promotion and remaining in the Championship would not be made up by a £4 million fee.
But it would allow the team to spend money on hiring a replacement, which might be just as beneficial.
It would be a huge loss if he were to leave the club because there aren’t many other managers Ipswich could hire to keep the club moving in the race for automatic Premier League promotion.
