Ipswich Town and Coventry City can happily watch on - and not from a golf course, either - as the lottery of the playoffs continues, with the pair both safe in the knowledge that their Premier League status has already been secured.

For the Tractor Boys, it's a second bite at the cherry for manager Kieran McKenna, with the wild ride under the Irishman only looking set to continue after three promotions and one relegation to date.

As for Frank Lampard and co, the club's remarkable recent climb has culminated in a first taste of top-flight football since 2001, a fitting reward for yet another fine campaign under the Englishman's watch.

Having seen the likes of Leeds United and Sunderland buck the recent trend of swift returns to the Championship, both clubs can be optimistic of securing survival - provided they get their transfer business right, that is...

Ipswich and Coventry can look to Leeds and Sunderland for inspiration

As Ipswich supporters are no doubt aware, for a while it seemed as if relegation fate was almost sealed before the season had begun, with every promoted side having been relegated in 2024/25 and 2023/24.

That rut has come to an end, thankfully, with both Leeds and Sunderland showing how it's done this season, benefitting from smart recruitment and faith in their respective managers.

What the pair also got right was key signings in key areas, particularly in the midfield unit, with Daniel Farke's side having been bolstered by the capture of Anton Stach on a £17m deal from Hoffenheim.

The German midfielder has since scored and assisted eight Premier League goals, while creating nine 'big chances', emerging as a vital cog in Farke's physical machine.

It's been a similar story too at the Stadium of Light for Granit Xhaka, with the Black Cats' own £17m signing proving one of the bargains of the signing, considering his talismanic status on Wearside.

The Swiss star has racked up seven goals and assists himself following his return to English football, mirroring Stach in showcasing that promoted sides don't need to break the bank to add quality to their ranks.

Indeed, those should well be the type of midfield moves both Ipswich and Coventry look to make this summer.

Coventry and Ipswich could fight it out for the next Adam Wharton

The regular Championship season has only just come to an end, but attention will swiftly be turning to summer recruitment, particularly with the looming World Cup only set to disrupt matters.

Ahead of their last voyage into the Premier League, Ipswich notably looked to secure the best talent that the second tier had to offer, something they could look to repeat with regard to Middlesbrough's Hayden Hackney.

Unsuccessful in his side's playoff push - as things stand - Hackney could be on the move this summer by all accounts, with the Telegraph reporting that he may be available for just £12m, considering there is just a year left to run on his existing deal.

As the report noted, McKenna's side previously lodged a bid for the 23-year-old Crystal Palace target, while prior speculation earlier this month also suggested that Coventry were in the frame too.

Signing the promising Englishman, particularly on a £12m deal, would surely be a worthwhile venture for both clubs, with Hackney having been the "best player in the Championship" this season, as per one podcaster, rightfully claiming the division's Player of the Year award.

Boro's number seven notably racked up 12 goals and assists for Kim Hellberg's side, while creating eight 'big chances' and averaging a stellar 2.2 key passes per game - the fifth best record in the division for players who played at last 50% of games.

Making the step up to Premier League life wouldn't be easy, although Hackney could well follow in the footsteps of another rising young English star, Adam Wharton, with the 22-year-old thriving after leaving Blackburn Rovers in early 2024.

Like Hackney, Wharton is such a graceful, progressive midfielder, with his final half-season at Ewood Park seeing him register five goals and assists, while averaging 1.3 key passes per game.

Just over two years on, he's now an FA Cup winner and potential Conference League champion, already being touted for marquee moves to the likes of Manchester United at the end of the season.

That possible exit for Wharton has perhaps sparked the Eagles' interest in Hackney, although both Ipswich and Coventry should have ambitions of their own to sign the Championship's most eye-catching talent.

It would be something of a risk considering his lack of Premier League experience, although that was no issue in Wharton's case, with Palace reaping the rewards of their £20m investment.

A bargain £12m could then be too good to turn down for the promoted pairing, with McKenna a perfect coach to oversee the rise of such a talent, having allowed the likes of Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson to blossom last season.

As for Lampard, well, there are few better figures out there to nurture a rising English midfield star, with the battle for Hackney's signature set to be an intriguing one this summer.