As the Tractor Boys try everything to keep their skin in the Premier League, Ipswich Town has been incredibly busy this transfer window thus far.
Jaden Philogene-Bidace, Ben Godfrey, and Julio Enciso are the three new hires who have entered the building, and more newcomers are anticipated to arrive before Monday’s deadline.
Between now and then, Ipswich may try to increase their striker count because the Suffolk team has depth up top outside of star Liam Delap.
Since Ali Al-Hamadi is currently out on loan at Stoke City until the end of the season, the relegation-threatened team really only has George Hirst in reserve in case Delap has a rare bad day.
Hirst isn’t exactly playing at his best since Al-Hamadi’s January departure, and McKenna is also rather concerned about the 25-year-old’s injury history.
The 25-year-old only has one goal to his name this time around up a league, and he has already missed 12 games due to injury.
Last season, he scored seven goals, proving to be a consistent source of goals during stressful situations.
He cannot, therefore, be the only option up top aside from Delap, who has a stellar eight-goal record in the Premier League but has demonstrated in recent games that he is not always a lethal machine, especially when playing against some of the better teams in the league.
Ipswich reportedly tried to sign Michy Batshuayi, a center forward for Galatasaray, earlier this week, according to a report from the Turkish publication Milliyet.
According to the report, West Ham United is also considering the former Chelsea player. More information reveals that the top-flight clubs have submitted bids of approximately £4.1 million to attempt to get the Belgian.
When looking at his Super Lig numbers, Batshuayi would undoubtedly give the former Manchester City star more competition than Hirst is now providing, even though he would clearly find it impossible to unseat Delap as the top shooter.
This season, the Galatasaray number 44 has scored a respectable seven goals across all competitions, one goal short of Delap’s Premier League total.
The 31-year-old has previously been a sight to behold when based in England.
According to the table above, the itinerant attacker has frequently shown himself to be “deadly” wherever he has jumped ship, as football journalist Josh Bunting once described him. He has previously scored a promising 15 goals in the English top division.
Because the Ipswich manager may be more convinced that the former Blues player can perform at such a high level than Hirst, McKenna might use Batshuayi as an impact option off the bench when Delap is tiring or misfiring.
The £80k-per-week forward, who was once hailed for greatness at Stamford Bridge, will also feel that he has unfinished business in the Premier League.
If he can provide a crucial goal or two to assist his new team avoid relegation, the Belgian will instantly become a hero at Portman Road.
