Ipswich Town will look to replicate their fantastic Omari Hutchinson deal with this potential incoming.
Ipswich Town will be very relieved about recent developments involving Kieran McKenna, with the in-demand Tractor Boys boss now looking likely to extend his stay in Suffolk by signing a new contract, instead of spreading his wings to move elsewhere.
In the running for the Chelsea vacancy previously among other high-profile positions, before Enzo Maresca became the overwhelming favourite from fellow promoted outfit Leicester City, McKenna will now want to press on and start adding new additions to the ranks at Portman Road away from wild gossip surrounding his future.
The 38-year-old hot property could even be tempted to raid Chelsea this summer to boost the attacking spots at Ipswich, potentially replicating the masterstroke loan deal of Omari Hutchinson in the process, whilst also replacing the out-going source of goals in Kieffer Moore – who is now back at AFC Bournemouth after a short but sweet stint in Suffolk.
Ipswich eyeing up £40k-per-week attacker
A report from the Express recently suggested that Chelsea could slash the excessive £50m price tag once put above Armando Broja’s head which might encourage Ipswich to go after his services, especially with their newly acquired Premier League cash after promotion.
It won’t be straightforward for McKenna’s men to win a deal for the £40k-per-week-man however, with the likes of AS Monaco and Borussia Dortmund interested from Europe alongside Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United based in the top-flight also being keen.
Broja could be Hutchinson 2.0
Excelling in the Chelsea youth set-up before eventually going on to make 38 senior appearances for the Blues, the 22-year-old could well view what McKenna managed to get out of Hutchinson – who also starred at youth level for Chelsea – at Portman Road as a key factor in getting a move done to relocate to Ipswich over other suitors.
| Broja vs Hutchinson – numbers for Chelsea youth | |||
| Player | Games played | Goals scored | Assists |
| Broja | 53 | 21 | 8 |
| Hutchinson | 25 | 8 | 10 |
| Sourced by Transfermarkt | |||
Hutchinson managed to score 11 times this season for his promoted loan side from down the wings, with Broja in need of rediscovering his clinical edge in front of goal too, which saw him net nine times for previous employers Southampton in just one Premier League season back in 2022.
If McKenna can get the 6 foot 3 forward firing on all cylinders again too, after a forgettable move to Fulham didn’t go to plan with eight goalless appearances managed, he could fill the gap left behind by Moore who starred in the Championship briefly alongside Hutchinson.
Why Broja is the perfect Moore replacement
Similar in stature to the Welshman, who stands at an equally lofty 6 foot 5, Broja will hope he can be an adequate replacement for the prolific journeyman if signed.
Moore would bag an impressive seven goals from just 18 Championship games for his short-term employers to help them in their promotion push, before returning to the South Coast shortly after celebrating the glory of moving up to the Premier League.
Whilst Moore operates more as a poacher-style figure whenever he’s been selected up top for his many sides, often using his imposing frame to his advantage to beat players and score, Broja could suit the likes of Nathan Broadhead and Conor Chaplin even more at Portman Road with his tricky skills on the ball.
In the last year, when comparing the two on FBref, Broja beats Moore for successful take-ons and progressive passes received – coming in at 2.49 take-ons and 7.31 progressive passes averaged per 90 minutes, contrasted with the Welshman’s lesser 0.47 and 6.39 respectively.
Described as an “animal” in the past by the Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell during his goalscoring peak at the Saints, Ipswich could be the location where Broja justifies this label again, having seen first-hand the transformative impact McKenna had on Hutchinson.
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