Ipswich leading the race to sign player ahead of Norwich – Kieran McKenna confirms
McKenna’s next Hirst: Ipswich make enquiry to sign “explosive” Delap rival
Ipswich Town were on the receiving end of another humbling defeat in the Premier League when travelling to Liverpool on Saturday as Arne Slot’s hosts ran out convincing 4-1 victors.
It was always going to be a tall order for the Tractor Boys to go to Anfield and topple the might of the Reds, with the Suffolk underdogs remaining in the top-flight drop-zone on goal difference off the back of another heavy loss.
With Ali Al-Hamadi now loaned out to the Championship to gift him more game-time, Kieran McKenna could now be looking at improving his numbers up top.
After all, as much as Liam Delap has shown regularly this season he can be an explosive and clinical striker, he is also prone to an off-day in front of goal.
Liam Delap’s recent struggles for Ipswich
Indeed, the former Manchester City attacker has drawn blanks across his last three Ipswich outings, with the standard of opposition arguably not helping his case.
Across the three defeats to Brighton and Hove Albion, Liverpool and Manchester City, Delap has only managed to muster up a weak combined total of 53 touches, with just three efforts registered too as the rest of his teammates also struggled to find the back of the net.
Of course, you would imagine that the 21-year-old will flicker back into life in front of goal sooner rather than later, considering he can boast eight goals from 21 Premier League games away from his current barren patch of form.
But, McKenna will know he cannot rely on just Delap to deliver the goods, and with George Hirst only managing one strike from 11 league games himself as an option in reserve, a new striker prospect could soon arrive through the door to shake up the striker positions.
Ipswich enquire about “explosive” teenager
As per a report from football journalist Graeme Bailey, interest is beginning to heat up regarding the services of Sheffield United youngster Ryan One, with Ipswich just one suitor looking at the promising Scotsman.
The Tractor Boys have allegedly made an enquiry to sign the teenager, with other notable Premier League sides looking at the exciting 18-year-old in the form of Liverpool, Brighton and Tottenham Hotspur. That said, One could well be intrigued by the potential of moving to Suffolk with more game-time perhaps on the table for him at Portman Road.
After all, the teenage hotshot has already begun to make waves at his current side Sheffield United, with this composed finish in the U21 ranks against arch-rivals Sheffield Wednesday one reason why he has been bumped up to the first team ranks.
The “explosive” youngster – as he has been labelled by Scottish football X account Scotball in the past – has since scored just once in the senior fold under Chris Wilder from 13 appearances, with a hope attached here that Ipswich can strike gold again by signing a raw talent that used to call South Yorkshire home like they managed with the aforementioned Hirst.
As can be seen by looking at the table above, Hirst hasn’t always been known as a goalscoring hero like he is now at Portman Road during his team’s unbelievable back-to-back promotions, as the 25-year-old visibly struggled with his confidence at various different clubs before his big Ipswich switch.
Therefore, whilst One only boasts five senior career goals playing in Scotland and in Sheffield, McKenna might well be the best possible manager to get the most of him moving forward like he managed with Hirst.
Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna applauds fans after the match
Nobody will be expecting the 18-year-old to usurp Delap in the starting XI, but One’s purchase would keep the 21-year-old on his toes and gift the Tractor Boys another youthful spark in attack.
