As January approaches, Ipswich Town are again positioning themselves well to push for honours in the Championship during the second half of the season. While the Tractor Boys remain firmly in the promotion picture, further recruitment could yet be on the agenda and that may have consequences for some of the club’s younger players, including Cameron Humphreys.
Ipswich slipped to a 3–1 defeat away at Leicester City at the weekend, a result that left them fifth in the table. They now trail second placed Middlesbrough by eight points and leaders Coventry City by 13. It has been a slightly uneven start to a campaign in which many tipped Kieran McKenna’s side as title contenders, despite another active summer of transfer business.
Although Ipswich are still well placed, they are perhaps not quite where they would want to be at this stage, and Humphreys has struggled to make a breakthrough. Left out of the matchday squad against Leicester, the academy graduate may now be considering his options ahead of the winter window, whether that means a loan move or a permanent switch to secure regular minutes.
Humphreys facing stiff competition at Portman Road
A product of the Ipswich academy, Humphreys made his senior debut during the 2021–22 season under McKenna. He was part of the group that achieved successive promotions from League One into the Championship, playing a more active role in the third tier before finding opportunities harder to come by at a higher level.
Last season’s loan spell at Wycombe Wanderers showcased his ability, but on his return to Ipswich he has again found the door difficult to open. He made brief substitute appearances in the opening draws with Birmingham City and Southampton, yet has largely been absent from squads since, or left unused on the bench.
Any early optimism was likely tempered by Ipswich’s summer recruitment in midfield. Despite the exits of Sam Morsy and Massimo Luongo, the club strengthened heavily. Azor Matusiwa arrived from Rennes, Jens Cajuste returned on loan from Napoli, and the capture of Marcelino Núñez from Norwich further increased competition, leaving Humphreys behind several established options, including Jack Taylor.
A League One return could offer a solution
Humphreys’ loan at Wycombe underlined his potential. During the first half of last season, the Chairboys were setting the pace near the top of League One, and the midfielder was central to their success. Alongside Aaron Morley, he controlled games from midfield and remained influential even after Morley’s recall, Richard Kone’s injury issues and Matt Bloomfield’s departure.
Wycombe eventually reached the play-offs and Humphreys’ performances stood out. He ranked highly for expected assists, created more big chances than any of his teammates and added seven goals of his own. Comfortable as a box to box midfielder and capable of filling in at left back, he also impressed with his passing consistency in a side that dominated possession.
Having hoped to establish himself at Championship level by now, Humphreys may need to take another short term step back to move forward again. A return to League One, even temporarily, could provide the platform he needs to rebuild momentum and push towards becoming a regular at Portman Road or elsewhere in the future.