Ipswich Town will be looking ahead to their next Premier League fixture back at Portman Road versus Fulham, but will have to navigate what could be a dramatic transfer deadline day first before league action gets back underway.
The Tractor Boys are still very much in for a whole host of players, with Armando Broja’s name constantly floating about, but there is no confirmation coming for the Albanian to join the building yet, amid reports of a potential collapse in the deal.
Therefore, new striker targets could now be on the late Ipswich shopping list, with this goal machine who is tearing up Belgium now allegedly on the agenda.
Ipswich pondering concrete offer for Cercle Brugge star
As per Belgian journalist Pieter-Jan Calceon, Kieran McKenna and Co are now reportedly going after Cercle Brugge star Kevin Denkey as another option up top.
As reported by Het Nieuwsblad – via Sport Witness – the likes of Lille, Real Sociedad and Bayer Leverkusen have all been previously interested in the Togo international in the past, but none of those sides from Europe were ever tempted into making an outright offer for the 23-year-old’s services minus their initial admiration.
Scoring goals for fun in the Jupiler Pro League for some time now, this potential incoming could well be viewed as an upgrade on Broja entering through the door, who regularly fired blanks last season out on loan at Fulham, compared to Denkey terrorising defences week in week out.
Of course, the step-up in quality to the Premier League is a different kettle of fish, but with George Hirst sidelined and Liam Delap yet to break his Tractor Boys duck, Denkey could be a useful new addition in the striker spots away from Broja.
What Denkey can offer Ipswich
The 23-year-old striker continues to be on fire for Brugge when it comes to clinically slotting away chances, with the in-form number nine bagging 54 goals from 133 games in total, including two already during the infancy of the new Jupiler Pro League season.
Denkey tore the Belgian top-flight to shreds last season with a ridiculous 27 goals in total, whilst his Albanian counterpart struggled at Craven Cottage to ever get going away from Chelsea, with zero strikes managed from eight forgettable outings on loan.
|
Denkey’s league numbers for Brugge (23/24) |
|
|---|---|
|
Stat – per 90 mins* |
Denkey |
|
Games played |
38 |
|
Goals scored |
27 |
|
Assists |
1 |
|
Shots* |
4.2 |
|
Scoring frequency |
126 mins |
|
Expected goals (xG) |
24.98 |
|
Big chances missed |
19 |
|
Big chances created |
5 |
|
Total duels won* |
6.7 |
|
Stats by Sofascore |
|
Averaging 4.2 shots per game last season in the league, Denkey would routinely pepper Premier League goalkeepers with a whole host of efforts, with a staggering 19 big chances also missed, even when taking into account his mightily impressive 27-goal return.
It’s not a shock, therefore, to see the likes of football talent scout Jacek Kulig label the 23-year-old as being “prolific”, something which Broja has notably struggled with, having only bagged eight top-flight strikes in England from 66 contests to date.
Still, the Chelsea number 19 could be seen as more of an Ipswich-style signing, owing to the fact McKenna used Hirst up front last season as a creative spark as much as an out-and-out goalscorer, with Broja picking up 11 assists across his up-and-down career to date.
Yet, adding in Denkey as a possible attacking upgrade would see Ipswich land a bold and frightening new option in attack for Premier League defences to keep tabs on, as more money continues to be splashed by the Suffolk side, in their ongoing bid to stay up.
Leave a Reply