Ipswich are seeking for another striker after signing Ali Al-Hamadi.
Ipswich Town is attracting attention from the Premier League and Europe in signing Eintracht Frankfurt striker Jessic Ngankam.
According to Fussball.News, Ipswich are interested in loaning Ngankam for the rest of the season, but will face competition from Premier League side Luton Town and Belgian club Royal Antwerp.
Ngankam is expected to fall down the pecking order at Frankfurt, since the German Bundesliga club has already recruited striker Sasa Kalajdzic on loan from Wolves this month and is also widely linked with PSG striker Hugo Ekitike.
Ngankam’s career to date.
Ngankam is a former Germany U21 international who only joined Frankfurt this summer.
He began his career with Hertha Berlin, making his debut in May 2020.
The 23-year-old struggled to find regular playing time in Berlin, so he signed on loan with another German club Greuther Furth (then in the Bundesliga) for the 21/22 season.
However, he only made six league games and scored twice that season.
Furth then exercised their option to acquire him permanently at the end of the season, only for Hertha Berlin to sign him back the same summer.
Last season for Berlin, he scored four goals in 18 games, but it was insufficient. They finished last in the Bundesliga, relegated to Bundesliga 2 for the first time in ten years.
Ngankam then joined his current club Frankfurt in the summer of 2023. So far this season, he has struggled to get consistent playing time, failing to score in 15 league appearances, two of which were starts.
What would Ngankam bring to Ipswich?
Ipswich’s search for a striker this season has been widely chronicled.
George Hirst, the Tractor Boys’ first-choice striker, suffered a hamstring injury that will likely keep him out of the team till the end of the season.
This left Ipswich with only Kayden Jackson and Freddie Ladapo as possibilities, both of whom have shown unimpressive at Championship level thus far.
Ladapo has subsequently gone to join Charlton Athletic on loan, while Ipswich have quickly brought in Ali Al-Hamadi from AFC Wimbledon.
However, he cannot be expected to fire right away because he is moving up two levels. It will take time for Al-Hamadi to adjust to the level.
So Ipswich need someone to lead the line, and their pursuit of Blackburn Rovers striker Sam Gallagher has been unsuccessful thus far.
Ngankam positions himself as a low-cost alternative for Ipswich, as well as a player with a strong pedigree.
Standing six feet tall, he is a powerful and forceful striker. He ranks high in defensive actions for Frankfurt this season, and he is similar to Hirst in that he likes to push.
Ngankam’s lack of consistent starts throughout his career makes it difficult to accurately judge him. But there is certainly something there, and if Ipswich give him regular football, he may be an excellent acquisition.
Leave a Reply