Ipswich Town may need to recruit a replacement for Omari Hutchinson in the summer as they seek promotion to the Premier League.
The Jamaica international is now on loan with the Tractor Boys, having joined the club from Chelsea in the summer. Ipswich were a recently promoted side at the time, so few expected them to be competing for promotion with only three games remaining in the season.
Hutchinson has been a key contributor for the team thus far. He has appeared 41 times in the Championship, with the majority of those coming off the bench as an impact sub.
Despite this, his goal and assist totals have been impressive. The Jamaican has seven goals and six assists in the league while being rotated among the front three as needed.
He has been instrumental in their success this season, but the Tractor Boys will need to find a replacement for Hutchinson when his loan agreement expires in the summer.
Jaden Philogene would be the ideal Hutchinson replacement according to the stats
If Hutchinson leaves the club in the summer, as predicted, Hull City’s Jaden Philogene would be an excellent replacement in the Ipswich side.
According to FBRef, Philogene has the most similar statistical profile to Hutchinson and would be a perfect substitute for the forward.
Both have scored goals and provided assists this season, and have been crucial components of the Hull and Ipswich offenses, respectively.
They both excelled with the number of excellent carries they made (130 versus 139), with comparable projected assists per 90 minutes, however Philogene’s expected goals stat is greater than his Ipswich counterpart.
While they are similar, Philogene has clearly been the stronger player of the two thus far.
He has scored more goals than his Ipswich counterpart, as well as completing more passes per 90 minutes, shooting on target, and attempting more shots.
Both individuals can play any position in the front three, offering them a versatile option for Ipswich.
However, Philogene would be a costly addition and would most certainly be employed as a regular starter, whereas Hutchinson has primarily served as a backup for the majority of the season.
A transfer is unlikely, with big clubs interested in his signature
Despite being practically a perfect substitute for Hutchinson, Philogene appears unlikely to come to Portman Road this summer.
While the Tractor Boys have a wonderful chance of playing in the Premier League next year, a number of far larger clubs are reportedly interested in signing the Hull winger.
Tottenham Hotspur are apparently the most interested in signing Philogene, with Crystal Palace also said to be following his progress at the club.
We can’t forget Aston Villa.
The forward’s previous club has a £20 million buyback option if the Tigers earn promotion. While this appears unlikely to be activated, it demonstrates their interest in the forward, and they may compete for his signature once this current campaign concludes.
With Spurs and Villa vying for the Champions League, he is unlikely to chose newly promoted Ipswich above them.
Palace also appear to be an appealing possibility, with the recent arrival of Adam Wharton demonstrating their capacity to provide minutes to Championship signings.
It is clear that Philogene is the perfect replacement for Hutchinson in-terms of the data, but one that the Tractor Boys will likely be unable to complete.