Ipswich are looking to sign a “clinical” EFL star

Ipswich Town they are fighting hard to avoid immediate relegation Premier League the first time they asked after their promotion last year.

The Tractor Boys finished second in the Championship table last season and reached the top of the table alongside Leicester City and Southampton.

Unfortunately, however, all three teams remain side by side in the bottom three of the Premier League after 20 games, with Ipswich the closest to the safe zone.

Kieran McKennaThe club’s sides are only behind Wolverhampton Wanderers on goal difference and one point behind Everton in 16th place, showing there is still plenty to play for between now and the end of the season.

The January transfer window officially opened earlier this month and the Tractor Boys wasted little time in strengthening their squad, with Ben Godfrey signing on loan from Atalanta and Jaden Philogene set to sign for Aston Villa in the deal is reportedly worth £21 million.

They appear to be unhappy with those two deals, as Ipswich are also reportedly in the race to sign the Championship striker.

Ipswich are eyeing an EFL sensation

According to Daily Mail OnlineThe Tractor Boys are one of a number of clubs eyeing Middlesbrough centre-forward Emmanuel Latte Lath in the January transfer window.

McKenna is plotting a move to sign the Ivorian marksman to step in and bolster his attacking options for the second half of the season as the Blues boss looks to build a squad capable of avoiding relegation straight back to the Championship.

The report claims that Leeds United, West Ham United and Ipswich have all shown an interest in signing the 26-year-old striker in order to keep him in the English league.

However, MLS side Atlanta United are keen to bring him across the pond and have submitted an offer worth up to £20million to secure his services before the end of the transfer window.

The outlet adds that Middlesbrough are yet to accept or reject the bid, which could be an MLS record fee, as they realize how important he is to their hopes of securing promotion to the Premier League this season.

He reveals that Latte Lath would be willing to move to America, but that he expected to be able to join a team in the English Premier League this year, which could give Ipswich – and West Ham – an advantage.

The Daily Mail adds that Ipswich also failed to seal a deal with Boro to sign the EFL sensation in the summer window, and McKenna must ensure he is second lucky this month.

Liam Delap is currently the best example of the kind of quality that can be revealed by signing a promising striker in the Championship for the Premier League.

Liam Delap’s form this season

He is a member of the English U21 national team for the 2023/24 season. spent on loan at Hull City from Manchester City and caught the eye with his strong performances in the upper half of the pitch for the Tigers, who narrowly missed out on the play-offs.

Delap found the net eight times the xG of 6.31and created four ‘big chances’ for his teammates, in 26 League Two starts for Liam Rosenior’s side.

Ipswich then signed him on a permanent deal with Manchester City in the summer transfer window, and it’s fair to say he’s been a huge success so far.

As you can see in the table above, Delap has been in fine form in the Premier League for the Tractor Boys and has already matched his goal tally from his league campaign last term.

Now, imagine Ipswich having two strikers of that quality to call upon, whether as a pair in specific games or in rotation with each other.

Why Ipswich should sign Latte Lath

The Blues should do their best to win the race for Latte Lath this month as McKenna’s alternative forward options have failed to do much of note this season.

George Hurst has scored one goal in seven Premier League appearances and Ali Al-Hamadi has failed to find the back of the net in any of his 11 Premier League appearances.

Latte Lath, meanwhile, scored ten goals of 9.26 xG over 17 Championship starts for Middlesbrough so far this term, showing that Ipswich would sign an in-form player who could go on a run as he is full of confidence.

The 26-year-old star, who was praised for “clinical” finish earlier this season by journalist Phil Spencer, he also caught the eye with his performances in League Two in the 2023/24 campaign, as he finished the year with twice as many goals as Delap – who scored eight for Hull.

As you can see in the table above, Latte Lath has been ‘clinical’ for Boro, surpassing his xG by more than four goals, and this shows that he has the potential to make the leap in quality to the Premier League.

He is an effective finisher who can make the most of the chances that are created for him, as Delap has done this season, which is why the Ivory Coast ace could be an ideal signing for the relegation side, as they cannot afford to be wasteful in front of goal.

This is why Ipswich should sign the Middlesbrough sensation to bolster their attack as it could provide McKenna with two big goal threats in the number nine position for the second half of the season.

It is now on the cards to beat Atlanta United, West Ham and Leeds in the race to secure the £20m-rated striker’s signature this month.