Ipswich Town could look to strengthen their attack in the final days of the January transfer window
Ipswich Town could look to strengthen their attack in the final days of the January transfer window
Ipswich Town have been busy in the January transfer window, but with a couple of gaps in their squad, they may still be active between now and next Monday’s deadline. Alex Jones takes a look at some of the unanswered questions.
Kieran McKenna’s side have signed three players so far this month
Kieran McKenna’s side have signed three players so far this month
Ipswich have made three signings. Ben Godfrey was the first through the door, joining on loan from Serie A side Atalanta. He was followed by Jaden Philogene, who was signed from Aston Villa for a fee of £20 million plus add-ons. Most recently, Julio Enciso has been brought in on loan from Brighton.
The arrival of Enciso means that Town can’t sign another player on loan from a fellow Premier League club, as they are at the limit of two domestic loanees with Kalvin Phillips spending the campaign at Portman Road from Manchester City.
The limit on international loans, however, is six. That leaves four slots available, with two taken up by Godfrey and Napoli’s Jens Cajuste.
George Edmundson was briefly recalled from his loan spell at Middlesbrough, but the Championship side paid the required transfer fee to take him on permanently. Striker Ali Al-Hamadi, who did count towards the 25-man squad, will spend the rest of the campaign on loan at Stoke City.
As things stand, the Blues could have some flexibility. With Chiedozie Ogbene [Achilles] out for the season, the expectation is that he will be de-registered, taking the total down to the 25-man limit. If Wes Burns [knee] is in a similar position, the squad could be cut to 24.
Liam Delap is one of two out-and-out strikers in Town’s first-team squad
Liam Delap is one of two out-and-out strikers in Town’s first-team squad
The number one priority heading into the final week of the transfer window will be a striker.
Earlier this month, manager Kieran McKenna stressed that the plan would be to allow Al-Hamadi to leave if they could sign another striker, which he described as ‘a big if’. The Iraq international, as mentioned, has now gone out on loan. It leaves McKenna with two out-and-out no.9’s, having previously said that he wants three.
Since then, he’s admitted that Town could progress with just two natural strikers, using other players – like Sammie Szmodics and Nathan Broadhead – to cover the position behind Liam Delap and George Hirst. Of course, in an ideal world, they will look to sign another player, but McKenna has admitted that it’s a hard role to fill.
Links have been scarce. Ipswich launched a late bid to sign Middlesbrough striker Emmanuel Latte Lath on deadline day over the summer, but that was rejected.
It remains to be seen whether or not he is a target this month, but he’s reportedly closing in on a $22 million move to Major League Soccer outfit Atlanta United, assuming that the injury he suffered in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Preston North End isn’t serious.
Expect some transfer rumours to appear in the next few days, but remember that they can’t sign any more players on loan from other Premier League clubs.
Wes Burns could be set for an extended spell on the sidelines with a knee injury
Wes Burns could be set for an extended spell on the sidelines with a knee injury (Image: PA)
What happens with Wes?
The 4-1 defeat at Liverpool, unfortunately, creates another dilemma for Ipswich as we near the end of the month.
Wes Burns suffered what looked like a serious knee injury at the start of the game. He was seen on crutches and with a leg brace on as he left Anfield, and there are fears that his season will be over if he’s suffered an Anterior Cruciate Ligament [ACL] tear.
McKenna was unable to provide a full update after the match on Saturday, but admitted that it doesn’t look good. If he doesn’t feature again this season, Town may need to look at a replacement.
Burns is a unique player, one who can cover the right flank and a deeper wing-back role. Omari Hutchinson can do the former while Ben Johnson can do the latter. Philogene and Enciso can probably cover that side, as can Sammie Szmodics, who’s currently sidelined with an ankle injury.
The Blues are well stocked on the left wing, but the right side is lacking depth. It wasn’t a huge surprise to learn that they launched a £16 million bid for Liverpool winger Ben Doak, who’s currently on loan at Middlesbrough, earlier this month.
They never made another offer for him, Boro boss Michael Carrick revealed that the window for the Reds to recall him has since passed. He won’t be coming to Portman Road this season.
That isn’t to say that Ipswich won’t sign another right-sided player, but they won’t have long to decide whether or not to do it. Perhaps someone who can play on the right flank and cover up front would allow them to kill two birds with one stone, although it wouldn’t be an easy deal to do.
Glen Kamara has been linked with a move to Portman Road
Glen Kamara has been linked with a move to Portman Road
Could Town look at any other positions to strengthen this month? It’s very unlikely.
The defence is well-stocked, as are the other forward positions that I haven’t already mentioned. That leaves the central midfield area, which could cause a debate.
Jens Cajuste has been excellent, but his fitness could be an issue. He missed the defeat at Anfield and has struggled with knee problems for quite some time. Phillips and captain Sam Morsy are clearly excellent players, but perhaps lack some key attributes that Town would like to have in midfield.
There have been some links from France. Glen Kamara, formerly of Leeds United and now at Rennes, is one of them. Ex-Chelsea and Manchester United destroyer Nemanja Matic, now at Lyon, is another. We understand that Ipswich are unlikely to make a move for either this month.
Harry Clarke could be allowed to leave on loan in the next few days
Harry Clarke could be allowed to leave on loan in the next few days
If both Ogbene and Burns are de-registered, Town can sign one player over the age of 21 to take them to the 25-man limit without anyone leaving. If they want to sign two players over the age of 21, someone will have to leave.
Right-back Harry Clarke is apparently a target for Championship side Sheffield Wednesday, with McKenna confirming that a loan departure was certainly possible following the arrival of Godfrey. There could still be other sides keen on taking him on in the coming days.
Luke Woolfenden has been linked with Sheffield United and Inter Miami. As an academy graduate, he’s particularly valuable for Ipswich. If he did leave this month, the transfer fee would count as pure profit when it comes to Financial Fair Play (FFP).
However, an exit seems unlikely. He captained Town in the FA Cup at the start of the month, and while he hasn’t featured since then, he offers important cover to Dara O’Shea.
Jack Clarke has struggled to adapt to life in Suffolk after joining from Sunderland in August and faces stiff competition for a spot in the starting lineup. That being said, if he was to leave, he could only join the Black Cats, having played for two teams already this season.
The Blues considered selling Broadhead at the latter stages of the summer transfer window and his future was up in the air heading into January, but his impressive form in the last few games would suggest that he’s going nowhere.
It’s a tough balancing act.
Mark Ashton has always been adamant that Town will be ambitious in the January transfer window
Mark Ashton has always been adamant that Town will be ambitious in the January transfer window
Ipswich have done incredibly well so far this month. Signing Philogene for such a big fee is certainly a statement, while Enciso looks exciting and Godfrey covers an important area in the squad. They will all play a big part in the second half of the season.
The striker situation is a concern. Fans are worried about a repeat of the summer deadline day, where Town eventually pulled out of a deal to sign injury-prone Chelsea man Armando Broja on loan. In hindsight, that was a smart move, given that he joined Everton and has hardly kicked a ball, with a return to his parent club looking likely after suffering another knock.
However, the Blues were light in attack due to Hirst’s injury, leaving Delap and Al-Hamadi as the only fit options during the festive period. With Al-Hamadi gone and Hirst proving to be somewhat unreliable in terms of his fitness, extra cover feels imperative.
Burns’ injury creates a big headache for McKenna and Mark Ashton. You’d imagine that they’d want to sign a replacement if the funds are available.
Desire can turn into desperation for any team at the end of any transfer window, so there’s every chance we see some incomings and outgoings soon. Nobody wants to be left high and dry in the second half of the season, which could result in some big offers.
