DONE DEAL: Ipswich land swoop deal for £40k-p/w Chelsea star striker as best instant Moore replacement

DONE DEAL: Ipswich land swoop deal for £40k-p/w Chelsea star striker as best instant Moore replacement

Ipswich Town will look to replicate their fantastic Omari Hutchinson deal with this potential incoming.

The current developments surrounding Kieran McKenna will come as a great relief to Ipswich Town, as it appears that the in-demand Tractor Boys boss will likely sign a new deal to stay in Suffolk rather than expanding his career.

Before Enzo Maresca from fellow promoted team Leicester City emerged as the clear favorite for the Chelsea vacancy and other prominent positions, McKenna will now want to move on and begin adding new players to the Portman Road roster, out of the wild rumors surrounding his future.

The 38-year-old prize asset might even be persuaded to raid Chelsea this summer in an attempt to increase the attacking spots at Ipswich. In the process, he might even emulate Omari Hutchinson’s brilliant loan arrangement, replacing Kieffer Moore, who is now returning to AFC Bournemouth following a brief but delightful stay in Suffolk.

Ipswich eyeing up £40k-per-week attacker

According to a recent Express article, Chelsea may lower the exorbitant £50 million price tag that was previously placed above Armando Broja’s head, which would entice Ipswich to pursue his services—especially with their newly acquired Premier League funds upon promotion.

McKenna’s team won’t have an easy time landing the £40k-per-week player, though, as top-flight teams Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United, as well as European powers AS Monaco and Borussia Dortmund, are also interested.

Broja could be Hutchinson 2.0

The 22-year-old, who excelled in the Chelsea youth system before going on to make 38 senior appearances for the Blues, may see what McKenna was able to extract from Hutchinson, a Chelsea youth standout, at Portman Road as a crucial element in convincing him to choose 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

Broja needs to regain his clinical edge in front of goal, as he scored nine goals for Southampton in his only Premier League season prior in 2022. Hutchinson has scored eleven goals this season for his promoted loan team from down the flanks.

Moore momentarily shone in the Championship alongside Hutchinson, but he left a space that McKenna might fill if he can get the 6′ 3″ forward clicking again after a disastrous move to Fulham ended in eight goalless games.

Why Broja is the perfect Moore replacement

Comparable in height to the Welshman, who is 6 feet 5 inches, Broja will be hoping he can provide a suitable alternative for the highly productive journeyman if he signs.

Moore helped his temporary employers push for promotion by scoring seven goals in just eighteen Championship games. Shortly after celebrating his promotion to the Premier League, Moore returned to the South Coast.

Moore, who frequently uses his large frame to outmuscle opponents and score, plays more like a poacher when he is selected up top for his numerous teams, but Broja’s deft ball handling abilities might make him an even more attractive option for players like Nathan Broadhead and Conor Chaplin at Portman Road.

When comparing the two players from the previous season on FBref, Broja outperforms Moore in terms of successful takeaways and received progressive passes. Broja averages 2.49 takeaways and 7.31 progressive passes per ninety minutes, whereas Moore’s figures are 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.