Ipswich Town fans still won't quite believe their team is competing in the Premier League ahead of next season until the first ball is kicked by a Tractor Boys shirt on the opening day, with Arne Slot's Liverpool now Ipswich's first top-flight opponent back in the promised land.

The reality of playing amongst English football's top dogs will surely start to feel more real after this, as Kieran McKenna is tasked with the almighty mission of keeping the Suffolk club afloat after achieving back-to-back promotions from the dug-out, having walked away from Manchester United to become a beloved figure at Portman Road.

There must have been a temptation this summer on McKenna's end to return back to the Theatre of Dreams, with rumours circulating that he was in the running to replace Erik ten Hag in the Old Trafford hot seat, but he remains as Ipswich manager for now, hungry to succeed with his gung-ho team making the step-up, even in such a tricky division.

Adding in quality here and there all over the pitch could be what gives the Tractor Boys the edge in a possible nail-biting fight against the relegation drop-zone, needing new recruits to sprinkle the side with even more talent, to try and adjust to the demands of the Premier League.

With that in mind, here is what Ipswich's dream starting XI could look like come August, with a new goalkeeper signed between the sticks and the return of a familiar face to Suffolk…

1 GK – Carl Rushworth

Ipswich could be set to sign a new goalkeeper ahead of their journey up to the Premier League, with current number one shot-stopper Vaclav Hladky commenting on his up-in-the-air situation at Portman Road recently, as he nears the end of his contract.

Carl Rushworth seems to be the 'keeper Ipswich are eyeing up as the 33-year-old's replacement, who does fit into McKenna's style of play, with a calm and measured nature about him playing out from the back when starring in the EFL.

The Brighton and Hove Albion man kept ten clean sheets in the league last campaign out on loan with Swansea City too, with the up-and-coming 22-year-old now on Ipswich's agenda.

2 RB – Ben Johnson

Another defensive addition this summer could see rumoured target Ben Johnson leave West Ham United as a free agent to join the ranks at Portman Road, with this being viewed as a shrewd capture if it goes through.

Johnson could end up displacing his right-back competition in both Axel Tuanzebe and Harry Clarke if this move is finalised, having amassed 109 appearances for the Hammers as a versatile and dependable figure at the back, with 69 of those coming in the Premier League.

3 CB – Nat Phillips

Shipping 57 goals in the Championship last season might have raised the alarm bells that Ipswich needed to sign new defensive recruits ahead of the challenge of the top division, with Nat Phillips another name on a long list rumoured to move to Portman Road in the centre-back spots.

Phillips would be able to give the Ipswich back four some much-needed calmness for the level, alongside Johnson's potential arrival, with 19 Premier League games under his belt for the Reds to date, alongside amazingly playing seven times in the Champions League during his time at Anfield.

4 CB – Luke Woolfenden

As much as Cameron Burgess could be sacrificed for the arrival of a new face at centre-back, Luke Woolfenden might well keep his place in the heart of defence, on the contrary.

Woolfenden will be champing at the bit to test himself in the top division, having had to really work hard to make a first-team spot at Portman Road his own over the last couple of seasons, before coming into his own under McKenna's guidance.

Last campaign, the Ipswich number six helped his side keep 14 clean sheets from his 41 league appearances, with a hope now he can manage the pressure of coming up against world-class attackers on a regular basis in the league above.

5 LB – Leif Davis

Leif Davis won't have been worried about his position in the Ipswich first-team whatsoever ahead of the 24/25 campaign, knowing that his staggering 21 assists last season, despite playing as a left-back, meant his spot was concrete.

The 24-year-old will be eager to impress further owing to his lack of minutes at the level when he was still just a youngster attempting to make it at Leeds United, only handed two chances overall when struggling in West Yorkshire.

6 CM – Massimo Luongo

Massimo Luongo is another who found himself stuck on the periphery when he was on the books at a Premier League club early into his fledging career, only gifted one senior Spurs start, before making a name for himself away from North London.

The Australia international only missed three games all Championship season long during Ipswich's promotion success and is unlikely to find himself out of McKenna's plans for the testing campaign to come.

7 CM – Sam Morsy

Although there were rampant rumours previously that Ipswich could look to strengthen in their holding midfield positions, with Ben Sheaf one notable name floating about from Coventry City, McKenna could keep his faith in the experienced head of Sam Morsy now instead.

The Tractor Boys captain was equally a first-team regular last campaign, amassing an impressive seven assists from the middle of the park from 44 overall contests.

8 RM – Omari Hutchinson

Another new signing that would be music to the ears of die-hard Ipswich supporters would be the return of Omari Hutchinson, who would bomb down the right flank for the Tractor Boys in the Premier League if a move happens.

Equally capable of playing down the left channel as well, on top of playing in Conor Chaplin's spot just behind the lone striker, it feels like a no-brainer to try and get the Chelsea youngster back, although the £30m price-tag branded about for his signature could be a major stumbling block.

Yet, with 17 goal contributions in all competitions for the promotion-winners still fresh whilst on loan, Ipswich could be tempted to splash the cash and make a statement.

9 CAM – Conor Chaplin

Conor Chaplin has been with Ipswich since their League One days, like much of the current first-team personnel, rising up all the way to the Premier League with the Suffolk club in the process.

The former Barnsley man has been an animal for Ipswich the past couple of successful seasons, with his 13 goals and nine assists last season crucial to Ipswich achieving automatic promotion.

It remains to be seen whether he can handle the gigantic step-up in quality, but he more than deserves a crack at it after grinding away in the EFL for most of his career, to then now play in the elite division.

10 LM – Nathan Broadhead

Nathan Broadhead will also want to impress in the top flight, especially when coming up against his former employers in Everton, where he was given extremely limited chances in the first team, before being let go.

The Merseyside outfit's loss has ended up becoming Ipswich's major gain, however, with the electric Tractor Boys number 33 picking up 13 goals last time out – matching Chaplin's goal total – from 38 second-tier contests.