Ipswich could repeat Szmodics masterclass by signing “special” EFL star this month – opinion

Ipswich Town bowed out of a rollercoaster 2024 with an exceptional 2-0 win over Chelsea as Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson shared out the goal load on what was a memorable occasion at Portman Road.

Just one point now separates Ipswich in 17th and Wolverhampton Wanderers directly above them, with hope in the air that this New Year can bring about a positive string of results that sees the Tractor Boys move out of the bottom three spots in the Premier League.

January also brings about the reopening of the transfer window, with Kieran McKenna also hopeful that little few additions here and there can boost his side’s chances of beating the drop.

Whilst the attacking firepower at his disposal hasn’t been a huge issue, the Northern Irishman wouldn’t turn down a chance to snap up an electric forward.

Ipswich enter battle for “special” EFL star

As per reports from Spain, Ipswich are set to enter a transfer tussle with both Southampton and AFC Bournemouth for the services of £10m-rated Josh Maja, who has been a top performer in the Championship this season with current employers West Bromwich Albion.

Subsequently, this has piqued the interest of many a Premier League side including the Tractor Boys, despite McKenna’s men already boasting the potency of Delap up top, who is now up to seven top-flight goals for the campaign after bagging the opener versus Chelsea.

Still, the relegation candidates won’t want to just rely on Delap moving forward, especially when you consider the backup options to the former Manchester City ace are an injury-prone George Hirst and Ali Al-Hamadi who could be set for a loan departure this month.

Therefore, snapping up the “special” striker – as he was once labelled by ex-boss Carlos Corberan – for a reported fee of £10m could be the worthwhile play from Ipswich, with McKenna praying it’s a repeat of the Sammie Szmodics deal.

What Maja could offer Ipswich

It seems fairly far-fetched to suggest that Maja would instantly make waves in the first team at Portman Road, considering Delap is leading the line tremendously well for the top-flight minnows.

But, the added bonus of having Maja’s expertise in front of goal won’t hurt, with the former Sunderland man helping himself to ten goals and two assists so far this season in league action for his promotion-chasing outfit.

Ipswich’s track record with going after exceptional talents from the league below has paid off, as seen in the newly promoted team taking a punt on Szmodics after an unbelievable 2023/24 saw him fire home 27 league strikes for Blackburn Rovers.

This campaign to date, the Republic of Ireland international has also played his part in some memorable clashes in the Premier League, which included him scoring at both Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur away, with the latter outing seeing him score an audacious acrobatic effort to secure an unexpected 2-1 victory.

Whilst Maja has operated as more of a fox-in-the-box poacher for West Brom in the second tier, overscoring bold efforts like the one above, it goes without saying that the 26-year-old would be a valuable pick-up when gifting McKenna’s men another face that can score a goal from nothing.

Adding in the Baggies number nine could also prove to be a smart buy when you consider further that Maja has already tasted Premier League football 15 times when he was previously on the books at Fulham.

Therefore, a switch might well be on the cards soon as Ipswich attempt everything in their power to fend off relegation.

MSNfootballNews

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