The last few years have been nothing short of a roller coaster for Ipswich Town.
The Tractor Boys have gone from mid-table mediocrity in League One to the Premier League in the blink of an eye, thanks to a mixture of incredibly underrated players and the genius of Kieran McKenna.
However, while their fairytale ascent up the league has been sensational, the Suffolk side now have half a campaign to try and keep themselves in the top flight, where they belong.
Fortunately, results have started to pick up in recent weeks, and there is a chance to add more quality to the team this month, specifically in the midfield.
Ipswich’s midfield stars
Now, the star of the show for Ipswich this season has undoubtedly been the incredible Liam Delap, who looks like one of the best strikers in the league, with a close second potentially being full-back phenom Leif Davis.
However, while they have not received the same plaudits from the wider footballing world, the Tractor Boys have more than a couple of midfielders who’ve looked at home in the top flight.
For example, summer signing Omari Hutchinson has made 11 appearances in the middle of the park this season, in which he’s scored twice and picked up one assist, while club captain Sam Morsy has played 18 games between central and defensive midfield for McKenna this year, also managing to score and assist a goal in the process.
Alongside the captain this term, it has been either Jens Cajuste, who has racked up 15 appearances thus far, or Kalvin Phillips, who, while looking shakey here and there, has the ability to do a job in defensive midfield and has 13 appearances to his name.
In short, while most of them are unspectacular players, Ipswich’s current crop of midfield options are managing to hold their own in the Premier League, but according to reports from earlier this month, they could soon have some more help as the club are said to be interested in former Chelsea star Nemanja Matic.
However, while the Serbian international is a vastly experienced player and a big name to boot, the Blues might have already been linked to a perfect alternative late last month.
So, to get straight to the point, the potential alternative is former Leeds United star Glen Kamara.
According to a report from journalist Graeme Bailey late last month, the 6 foot titan, who joined Ligue 1 side Stade Rennes in the summer for just £8.4m, has caught the attention of several clubs, including Ipswich and Southampton.
It’s unclear how much the French side would want for the former Rangers star, but as he’s played just 43% of available league minutes this term, we wouldn’t be surprised if they’d be willing to accept a fee close to the one they paid in the summer.
However, though he hasn’t played as much football as perhaps he would have liked this season, there are a couple of reasons why he could be an ideal alternative to Matic for the Tractor Boys.
The first is that when we take a look under the hood and compare the midfielders’ underlying numbers from this season, it is the Finnish “monster,” as dubbed by former manager Steven Gerrard, who comes out on top.
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On top of having the statistical argument, there is also a significant one around the longevity of the players, as at 29 years old, the Rennes ace could keep playing at the top level for seasons to come, whereas, at 36, the former Serbian international is undoubtedly close to hanging up his boots.
Lastly, the former Manchester United star is currently earning around £97k-per-week, while the 65-capped Fin is on a far more reasonable wage of £29k-per-week, which, when combined with his underlying numbers and age, makes him a far more attractive alternative for a relegation-threatened side who may need to bring in more players this month.
Ultimately, Matic has had a sensational career at the very top of the game, but as things stand, it would make far more sense for Ipswich to try and court Kamara this month.
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