Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna will be slightly concerned about the attacking players at his disposal come the opening Premier League game of the season against Liverpool, knowing that George Hirst could now be out of action alongside an injury-stricken Nathan Broadhead.
The beloved Tractor Boys boss revealed after a recent friendly game versus 1899 TSG Hoffenheim that main striker up top George Hirst will need to see some specialists owing to an injury concern sustained this pre-season.
Therefore, more attacking reinforcements could now be needed, as the Suffolk side push on to try and land this long-sought-after target to really strengthen their options.
Ipswich bidding for “ridiculous” attacker
As per Ipswich-based website TWTD last weekend, McKenna and Co are very much still chasing Sammie Szmodics’ elusive signature, with a bid in the region of £10m recently fielded by the newly promoted outfit.
It has also been revealed, via TWTD, that yet another bid being turned down by the Riversiders has led to showdown talks between the former Peterborough United man and the powers that be at Ewood Park taking place, with Szmodics clamouring for an exit route out of the Lancashire club, and up to the bright lights of the Premier League.
What Szmodics could offer Ipswich
Szmodics’ arrival into the building would no doubt quell any possible selection headaches McKenna is having to put up with involving who starts up top against the Reds, with the explosive 28-year-old fresh off a golden boot winning season in the Championship.
Labelled as “ridiculous” last campaign for his free-flowing exploits in front of goal by football journalist Josh Bunting, Szmodics could come into his own even more jumping up a division, playing for his new plucky underdogs as the potential main source of goals.
Although he wasn’t outwardly deployed as a centre-forward last campaign, Szmodics’ insane goal haul of 33 strikes in all competitions means he won’t look out of place whatsoever in the Ipswich XI leading the line if he is thrown into this position soon.
Indeed, the Republic of Ireland international has bagged eight strikes from the centre-forward spot when wearing a Riversiders strip.
| Hirst’s league numbers (23/24) vs Szmodics (23/24) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stat (* = per 90 mins) | Hirst | Szmodics |
| Games played | 26 | 44 |
| Goals scored | 7 | 27 |
| Assists | 6 | 4 |
| Shots* | 2 | 3.3 |
| Shots on target* | 0.9 | 1.4 |
| Scoring frequency | 255 mins | 145 mins |
| Big chances missed | 10 | 17 |
| Stats by Sofascore | ||
Looking at the table above, Hirst could find minutes hard to come by in the division above even when he’s back to full sharpness, with Szmodics blowing his numbers out of the water last season in the Championship.
Missing a colossal 17 big chances in the second tier also proves that the former Posh attacker could potentially become even more clinical, and with the added talent of Conor Chaplin and Omari Hutchinson surrounding him going forward at Portman Road, he could well be the goalscoring hero Ipswich need to attempt to survive in the elite league.
A breakaway strike against Leicester City on the final day of last season ensured John Eustace’s men staved off the second-tier drop zone by the skin of their teeth, and Szmodics will hope he has more memorable strikes in his back pocket if he moves to Suffolk.
Capable of also providing competition to the likes of Chaplin behind the lone striker, this feels like a buy Ipswich should prioritise, even if it will dent the bank in the short term.
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