Manager Kieran McKenna believes Ali Al-Hamadi has all of the ‘raw ingredients’ to be a success at Ipswich Town.
The Blues signed the 21-year-old forward, who had 23 goals in 48 games for League Two club AFC Wimbledon, in the final week of the January transfer window, despite strong opposition.
Wimbledon believes the transfer might break a fourth-tier club record, surpassing Exeter’s £1.8 million sale of Ollie Watkins to Brentford in 2017.”He’s somebody that we’ve watched quite closely, and we think he’s a really high potential forward player with a lot of growth still to come,” said McKenna, whose side is fourth in the Championship table with 17 games remaining.
“We understand that in order to compete in this division, we must sometimes look for alternative approaches. We’ve brought in players throughout the last several windows who weren’t playing at their prior club or hadn’t had much success previously, and you can get them for a lower price.
“With Ali, he’s moving up from League Two, but we believe he has excellent raw materials and the potential to make that transition. And we believe this is a great place for him to do that.”
Al-Hamadi made his Town debut as a second-half substitute in last weekend’s 3-2 defeat at Preston, providing a lively cameo as the Blues nearly overturned a three-goal deficit.
Town forward Conor Chaplin commented on his new teammate: “I follow football religiously, so I knew about the goals Ali was scoring week in and week out.” He’s in excellent physical condition and is unquestionably capable of competing at the highest level. He creates several opportunities for himself, which speaks volumes.
“He is certainly ready for a step ahead. Many of our players have played in League Two and League One. We just need to help him settle in and improve as a football player.”
Ipswich bought four players in the January 2023 transfer window – Harry Clarke, Massimo Luongo, Nathan Broadhead, and George Hirst – all of whom had a significant impact in the second half of the season as the club achieved automatic promotion from League One.
Can the four new recruits in January – Lewis Travis, Jeremy Sarmiento, Al-Hamadi, and Kieffer Moore – make a similar impact on a Championship-caliber team?
“I hope the effect will be the same as last year, otherwise our recruitment isn’t very good, is it?” said Chaplin with a smile. “The only reason individuals come into the building is to help us develop, and I believe that has happened with the players we’ve brought in.
“We’ve got a terrific mix of age and experience at this level. I think it’s exciting, and I can’t wait to learn more about their games and have them show us what they have and how they can help. The sooner we can assist them settle in, the better for everyone.
“I don’t only mean in terms of the changing room, which I believe is a given since it’s an easy environment to settle in, but also on the pitch and the patterns of play and small messages you can send out.
“We, together with the manager and coaching staff, are accountable for this. It is our responsibility to help lads settle in, know where their passes and movements are, and comprehend each other’s games as soon as feasible. I believe that is part of our role as players and mature lads.
