Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna says he wants all four of the club's current loan players to still be at the club come the end of January.

The new Blues boss cut short Louie Barry's season-long loan spell from Aston Villa this week, but is hopeful that goalkeeper Christian Walton (Brighton), left-back Hayden Coulson (Middlesbrough), attacker Bersant Celina (Dijon) and 11-goal striker Macauley Bonne (QPR) won't be recalled.

Confirming the EADT and Ipswich Star's story that the club is trying to make Walton's deal a permanent one this month, McKenna said of the 26-year-old: "That's something the club are working on. Obviously I'm not involved in the front line of those negotiations or discussions.

"Christian has been fantastic for the club, he's a had a really good season, we know he's a really top goalkeeper and has still got potential to improve. He's still a really good age for a goalkeeper and we feel he can go again and over the next few years take his game to another level.

"He's a player we really like and he's a player we'd like to stay. The club are discussing things with Brighton and Christian himself and we hope something can be done."

Bonne has said he will be 'angry' if QPR recall him from his beloved Blues, with R's boss Mark Warburton responding that he will do what is right for his club.

It's understood that QPR would want a significant seven-figure fee for the 26-year-old, who effectively still has two-and-a-half years left on his contract at Loftus Road.

"Macauley is another one the club are in constant contact with," said McKenna. "Obviously he's having a really good season, is a really important player for us, he wants to be here because he's an Ipswich boy and the club means the world to him, so we want him to be a big part of the team going forward.

"The club are in discussions and we hope that he can remain with us."

East Anglian Daily Times: Macauley Bonne kisses the Ipswich Town badge following his debut goal.Macauley Bonne kisses the Ipswich Town badge following his debut goal. (Image: © Copyright Stephen Waller)

On Coulson and Celina, McKenna said: "Hayden has obviously been injured since I arrived here. He had some time back in Middlesbrough getting treatment on his injury but he's back here now and working his way towards fitness.

"Bersant is a big talent. He's a player I knew when he was in the youth team at Manchester City and I was at Tottenham. I'm fully aware of what he can do and what he can bring to the team. He's had some issues with illness, some issues with injury, but he's back training now and we want to build him back up, build his fitness and robustness back up and find a way for him to be effective within the team.

"We hope that he has a big role to play for us in the second part of the season."

Asked if that meant he hoped all four loan players would still be at the club come the close of the January transfer window, McKenna replied: "Yes."