Ipswich to sign ideal Morsy replacement who is “Rice-esque”

Ipswich Town’s promotion to the Premier League is undoubtedly the stuff of fairytales, with the Tractor Boys facing Forest Green in League One last season before facing the strange prospect of playing against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

Kieran McKenna’s side finished just a point behind Leicester City in the final Championship standings after the latter lost 2-0 to Blackburn Rovers on the last day, and they will now have to navigate the difficult step-up and attempt to battle it out with the top dogs, unlike a leaky Sheffield United.

The powers that be at Portman Road have, no doubt, already compiled a lengthy list of players who might soon join the ranks in Suffolk to help make the transition to the top division less scary, with this £10 million-rated midfielder already on their radar, according to sources.

Ipswich going after top Championship star

According to the Sun, McKenna’s fantastic Tractor Boys aim to strengthen even further in the off-season by bringing in midfielder Ben Sheaf.

There might be a major transfer battle for the Coventry City player, with Luton Town also interested after Sheaf supposedly turned down a move to Kenilworth Road in January.

Formerly on Arsenal’s books as a youngster, it will be interesting to see who the 26-year-old chooses as his next club after missing out on promotion with Mark Robins’ side this season, with a London reunion possible as Fulham have also expressed interest in Sheaf’s services.

Ipswich will seek to gain an advantage in this struggle by convincing the 26-year-old that he would receive ample game time after moving to Portman Road, with Sam Morsy perhaps being sacrificed to allow the fresher midfielder to shine in the Premier League.

Morsy has been a key cog for McKenna in the center of the park this blazing Championship season, but with his 33rd birthday approaching in September, it may be judged appropriate to bolster the midfield ranks away from the Egypt international, particularly if Sheaf becomes available.

How Sheaf compares to Morsy

Sheaf, who has played centrally for the FA Cup semi-finalists this season and is described as “a ready-made Premier League player” by Ryan Dilks of the Second Tier Podcast, surely deserves a chance at the top of the English football pyramid.

“The best all-round midfielder in the division” 🙌

“No one else comes close” 👏

“A ready made Premier League player” 🌟

Ben Sheaf has been in excellent form for Coventry!@RyanDilks1 & @JustinPeach27 rate him very highly👇

🔗 https://t.co/3vX06CB4So#PUSB pic.twitter.com/iQOg5bPa6b

— Second Tier podcast (@secondtierpod) January 24, 2024

Sheaf dominated proceedings at the CBS Arena against Queens Park Rangers, even if Robins’ men lost 2-1, with an astonishing 114 touches.

Managing to register three key passes in the slick display, with a mean streak evident in his game by winning nine duels and four tackles, this well-rounded approach has even been boldly compared to Declan Rice’s, with football analyst Raj Chohan describing the former Gunner’s game as “Rice-esque.”

Ben Sheaf vs QPR.#pusb

pic.twitter.com/HaSbpa3p06

— HC (@HCfootball01) May 5, 2024

This is good praise indeed, and Morsy back at Ipswich will be concerned that his solid berth in McKenna’s XI will be stolen by Sheaf soon.

According to FBRef, Sheaf outperforms Morsy in terms of progressive passes, shot-creating actions, tackles, and much more.

As can be seen from the data above, Sheaf has outperformed the Ipswich midfielder in several crucial categories over the last year and could be seen as a wonderful successor to the elderly ex-Wigan Athletic player.

The 32-year-old may now see his promotion to the Premier League with Ipswich as the best bang for his buck, knowing that Sheaf could easily take his place.