In their pursuit of gaining promotion back to thePremier League,Ipswich Town are looking to refresh their attacking lineup with one player reportedly set to be shown the door.
Ali Al-Hamadi has reportedly been viewed by manager Kieran McKenna as surplus to requirements at Portman Road. With this in mind, a number of EFL clubs includingCardiff City,Luton Town andCharlton Athletic are rumoured to be interested in adding the 23 year old to their ranks.
Who is Ali Al-Hamadi?
Al-Hamadi was born in Iraq but at the beginning of the Iraq War moved to Liverpool. The 23 year old joinedTranmere Rovers at youth level before moving toSwansea City, signing a professional contract in 2020.
After failing to make an impact in South Wales, the 23 year old moved toWycombe Wanderers but once again struggled to have an impact on the side. After a loan spell withBromley, Al-Hamadi moved toAFC Wimbledon in 2023.
It was with the South London side that the striker showcased his ability, scoring 27 goals in 48 appearances at an average of 0.6 goals per game. His performances earned him a move to Ipswich Town who he helped win promotion to the Premier League in 2024.
A loan spell atStoke City in the second half of last season followed. Having slipped down the pecking order this season at Portman Road, Al-Hamadi has been deemed surplus to requirements by McKenna.
This squad refresh has led toreported interest from Cardiff, Luton andChampionship new-boys Charlton in the 23 year old’s signature.
What could Ali Al-Hamadi bring to his potential new side?
Having risen through the pyramid in the last few seasons, it is evident that Al-Hamadi could have the capability to improve his potential new side. Having made 11 Premier League appearances last season will likely have helped the striker improve his game.
One attribute of Al-Hamadi’s that could be utilised is his dribbling ability. The 23 year old has the capability to take on opposition defenders using his pace and power as shown last season at Stoke when he completed anaverage of 1.4 successful dribbles and won 6.14 duels per 90 minutes.
The Ipswich Town striker’s understanding and reading of the game allows himself to get into good positions and score goals. He consistently occupies good positions in attack as shown by his average of 5.82 touches in the opposition box during his loan spell last season.
His goalscoring record during the 2023-24 season for both AFC Wimbledon and Ipswich shows how he could benefit one of the number of sides interested in his signature. Al-Hamadi scored an average of 0.59 and 1.28 goals per 90 minutes in League Two and the Championship respectively.
Which club should Ali Al-Hamadi join?
George Hirst, Chuba Akpom and Sammie Szmodics are all competing for a similar spot to Al-Hamadi in the Ipswich Town side. With this in mind, it is most likely better for both parties that the Iraqi international finds a new club before the end of the window.
According to the reports, the striker would like to stay in the Championship. This would suggest that based upon the clubs interested in signing him, Charlton are the striker’s preferred destination.
However, with the likes of Charlie Kelman, Harvey Knibbs and Isaac Olaofe signing for the Addicks this summer it may be another side where Al-Hamaidi has to fight for a starting berth. The East London side will potentially be fighting it out to avoid relegation from the second tier as well which may not benefit the 23 year old in the long run.
Luton Town and Cardiff City may be better options for Al-Hamadi in the short and long run. Both sides were relegated to League One last season and given their ambitions to return to the Championship, would provide him with the possibility to score goals in a successful side.
Why is Cardiff City the best club for Ali Al-Hamadi?
Given Cardiff’s manager, Brian Barry Murphy’s experience of developing young players, it may be a wise choice for the 23 year old to move to South Wales. There is a possibility that Al-Hamadi would be more likely to get first team football with the Bluebirds as Luton have signed Jerry Yates and Nahki Wells this transfer window.
Should Al-Hamadi join Barry Murphy’s side he will likely have a number of players creating chances for him to score goals. Chris Willock, Rubin Colwill and Ollie Tanner are all capable of creating a consistent level of chances having performed at a higher level with the Bluebirds.
At the age of 23, the Ipswich Town striker still has a significant portion of his career and development remaining. With this in mind, he may benefit from working under a coach who has a proven track record in player development and a side where competition for places comes in the form of Yousef Salech.