Ipswich hit gold on £65m+ star in the making who’s going “to the very top”
Ipswich Town have struggled in the Premier League this season.
Kieran McKenna’s team has performed well in several games, even gaining points against top clubs like Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. However, they now rank 19th in the league.
Fortunately, more than half of the season remains, and despite being in the relegation zone, the squad is blessed with a number of really excellent players, some of whom were added during the summer.
In fact, if they remain up this season, it will most certainly be due in major part to those additions, including one who has drawn parallels to a £65 million international.
Ipswich’s top summer signing
Before we get to the guy in issue, let’s take a look at some of Ipswich’s other standout summer additions, beginning with the phenomenal Sammie Szmodics.
The Irish international joined Tractor Boys from Blackburn Rovers for up to £11 million after scoring 33 goals and four assists in 48 matches.
Although the Premier League is a tougher competition, the 29-year-old’s total of three goals in 15 games is still impressive. He is one of McKenna’s most threatening strikers.
Jens Cajuste, who joined the team on a season-long loan over the summer, may have an obligation to buy if the club remains in the league.
We’ll have to wait and see whether that’s true, but for the time being, the Swedish international has looked rather impressive in the middle of midfield, helping sweep up rival attacks and then assisting in the formation of their own.
However, while those players and a few others added in the summer have made an impact on Ipswich this season, one man has unquestionably been the best of the group.
Ipswich’s rising star worth £65 million
So, given who we’ve just mentioned, it’s no surprise that the signing in question is Liam Delap.
The 21-year-old prodigy joined Ipswich from Manchester City for £20 million in the summer and is already one of the club’s key players.
In 16 league appearances, including 15 starts, the youthful marksman has scored six goals and given one assist, resulting in an excellent rate of one goal per 2.28 games.
The “incredible” 6 foot 1 poacher, as named by Pep Guardiola, provides a target for teammates to strive for and build around in games, improving the team’s overall performance and giving opponents something to worry about.
His impressive start to life in the Premier League has earned him parallels to a number of more experienced attackers, notably Tottenham Hotspur’s Dominic Solanke.
FBref, a Premier League comparison tool, found that the Spurs midfielder is the fourth most similar to the Ipswich star.
To better understand how this conclusion was reached, we can look at the underlying metrics that the pair ranks closest to, such as non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive carries, goals per shot, successful take-ons, passes into the penalty area, and more, all per 90 minutes.
| Delap & Solanke | ||
|---|---|---|
| Statistics per 90 | Delap | Solanke |
| Non-Penalty G+As | 0.53 | 0.53 |
| Progressive Carries | 1.89 | 1.56 |
| Goals per Shot | 0.21 | 0.16 |
| Passes into the Penalty Area | 0.38 | 0.47 |
| Clearances | 1.06 | 1.09 |
| Successful Take-Ons | 1.29 | 1.09 |
| Aerial Duels Won | 1.89 | 1.56 |
| All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 PL Season | ||
Seeing your striker likened to the starting number nine for a ‘big six’ club is a wonderful sign for the Tractor Boys and a solid signal that the Winchester-born ace is headed “to the very top,” as Statman Dave feels. It’s also excellent news for his price.
Bournemouth sold Solanke for £65 million in the summer, and Delap’s current form suggests he might be worth much more if he continues to perform well.
Ultimately, Ipswich are having a difficult season this year, and survival is not certain, but with their youthful and energetic striker, they can be confident that they have a superstar on the way.
Read more on sportupdates.co.uk
Leave a Reply