Seven options to Ipswich Town former target

Jeremy Sarmiento

Ipswich is familiar with Jeremy Sarmiento, so that’s one logical choice. Kieran McKenna knows him, as do the players and the supporters. They have seen enough of him to understand his strengths, shortcomings, and potential.

After completing his loan move to Portman Road in January, it was believed that the Blues may extend it for another year if they achieved Premier League. Whether this is genuine or not remains to be seen, although Sarmiento is still a Brighton & Hove Albion player as of this writing.

Following his impressive performance in the Copa America, the 22-year-old confirmed that he will return to his parent club for pre-season training and to meet with new manager Fabian Hurzeler.His father has stated that while staying at the Amex Stadium is a priority, he has received attention from La Liga and Bundesliga clubs.

McKenna clearly values his versatility and his ability to score late goals. A permanent deal may be too difficult to negotiate this summer, but there’s no reason Town shouldn’t try to re-sign him for the 2024-25 season.

Abdallah Sima

If Sarmiento does not leave this summer, Ipswich could consider signing one of his Brighton teammates. Abdallah Sima has yet to play a single game for the Seagulls since arriving from Slavia Prague in 2021. He’s subsequently gone on loan at Stoke City, Angers, and Rangers, with the latter being where he really hit form last season.

Everything fell into place at Ibrox, with 11 goals and two assists in 25 Scottish Premiership games despite missing a significant portion of the season due to injury. Furthermore, he scored three goals in Rangers’ Europa League campaign, as well as against PSV in Champions League qualification, despite the fact that his team was finally eliminated.

His route to playing time at Brighton is limited, especially if Sarmiento stays, with Joao Pedro, Kaoru Mitoma, Simon Adingra, and new signing Yankuba Minteh all ahead of him in the pecking order. As a result, they are apparently looking to sell him for roughly £7 million, with Rangers anxious to re-sign him.

He checks a lot of boxes. He is only 23 years old, stands 6’2″, and represents Senegal at the senior level. He’s quick, powerful, and clinical. Say what you want about Scottish football, but he scored frequently when healthy and impressed in Europe as well. There’s a lot to appreciate about him, despite his lack of adaptability as a left winger.

Nathan Tella

There’s a strong argument that this one is out of reach for Ipswich, but he’s the type of player the club would love to sign. Nathan Tella impressed during a loan spell at Burnley in 2022/23, but the Clarets couldn’t afford to recruit him on a permanent basis after securing promotion to the Premier League, so relegated Southampton sold him to the highest bidder.

That turned out to be Bayer Leverkusen, which signed him for a reported £20 million. Of course, Xabi Alonso’s team enjoyed a fantastic season, winning the Bundesliga title and DFB Pokal without losing a single game while also reaching the Europa League final.

Tella contributed to this, but he only started eight league games in all. With his 16 cameos, he accumulated 812 minutes. The Werkself’s return to the Champions League may limit the 25-year-old’s playing time as they seek to improve their squad in several areas.

A permanent move is unlikely, but what’s to say Ipswich couldn’t persuade Tella and Leverkusen to agree on a loan deal? He possesses Premier League experience, blistering pace, and the versatility to play on either flank. He’d be a regular starter at Portman Road and might continue to improve under McKenna.

Jack Clarke

I previously spoke about Jack Clarke in a previous transfer targets essay, so there’s no need to go into detail here. Most Ipswich fans are aware of his abilities and have identified him as a preferred replacement for Philogene, and it’s easy to see why.

The 23-year-old progressed through Leeds United’s academy before joining Tottenham Hotspur for an estimated £10 million. It never worked out there, as he failed to shine on loan until joining Sunderland in 2022, which led to a permanent move the following season.

He’s progressed year after year since moving up to the Championship, rising from nine goals and 11 assists in 2022/23 to 15 goals and four assists last season, despite the fact that the Black Cats struggled for much of the season and Clarke spent a significant amount of time on the sidelines due to injury.

He’s due to make a big move to the Premier League this summer and would likely cost less than Philogene. Although his adaptability is restricted, he has the potential to become Town’s first-choice left winger if the club pushes through the deal in coming weeks.

Osame Sahraoui

Osame Sahraoui will be unfamiliar to many Town fans, having progressed through the ranks at Valerenga before joining Dutch side Heerenveen in 2023 for a reported sum of £1.5 million. Despite playing for a mid-table squad, he has been one of the league’s top performers, with eight goals and four assists in 32 games.

When comparing the metrics of Eredivisie wingers, the 23-year-old consistently ranks at the top. His passing, opportunity generation, dribbling, and ball carrying statistics are all quite excellent. He presses high to win the ball and draws fouls, which are all essential attributes of a quality winger.

The obvious question here is if that can be transferred to a high league like the Premier League, but there’s a lot of evidence that he’d benefit from playing with better players. His predicted assists [xA] of 7.81 indicate that he would be near the top of the rankings if he played for a side like PSV, Feyenoord, or Ajax.

There are downsides. He, like Sima, is a left winger, and at 5’5″, he may struggle against strong Premier League defenders. This one would be low risk, great reward, and he certainly has a bright future no matter where he ends up.

Andreas Schjelderup

Andreas Schjelderup’s performances in Nordsjaelland have aroused eyebrows across Europe. It was enough to land him a move to Benfica last summer, but he was sent back to his hometown club for the 2023/24 season.

In 26 Superligaen appearances, the 20-year-old scored nine goals and provided six assists. His greatest performance came against AGF Aarhus in April, when he scored three goals and assisted once in a 7-2 victory. He’s definitely miles above that level and must find the next step.

It remains to be seen whether that happens at Benfica, where Joao Mario, David Neres, Benjamin Rollheiser, and Tiago Gouveia are all preferred left-sided possibilities. On top of that, they’ve recruited Jan-Niklas Beste from Heidenheim, who will be expected to play regularly following a successful Bundesliga season.

Schjelderup could be loaned out again, though Liverpool has been linked with a permanent move. He could be interested in the Premier League as well as Benfica, and his flexibility to play in any of the three positions behind the striker would make him an excellent match for Town.

Yaser Asprilla

Yaser Asprilla is primarily a right winger, but he can also play in the middle. Is that what Town needs? Omari Hutchinson, Wes Burns, and Liam Delap can all play there, but the left wing lacks depth. However, it was impossible to ignore him following such an impressive season for a Watford side that struggled in the Championship.

In 2022, the 20-year-old joined the Hornets from Envigado, his boyhood club. Last season, he finished with six goals and seven assists in 44 games, but only 28 of those were starts. Fans instantly fell in love with his skill and flare around the end of the season, and he has since gone away with Colombia for the Copa America.

As a natural left-footer, he enjoys cutting inside and going for goal. He’s not particularly swift, but he is tall and educated. Similar to Sahraoui, his output would most likely be far higher if he played for a stronger team.

Arsenal are apparently interested in signing him for around £15 million. He has plenty of potential to become a top player, and he appears to be a natural fit for the Premier League.