Ipswich battle to sign star 'made of iron'

Ipswich Town They were reminded again of the huge task they face in the second half of the season when Manchester City visited Portman Road on Sunday.

Tractor Boys are in the relegation zone, but they are within touching distance of Wolverhampton Wanderers, and their efforts to climb to safety have not been helped by their clash with Pep Guardiola's side.

Kieran McKennaThe men were swept aside with relative ease as the champions cruised to a 6-0 win, the scoreline secure enough for Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden and Erling Haaland to be taken off the field with 30 minutes remaining.

The January transfer window is open for business, meaning they have the chance to add more quality to the squad, in a bid to avoid relegation straight to the top flight the first time they ask.

Ipswich have already brought in two new signings Premier League expertise. Ben Godfrey arrived on loan from Atalanta and Jaden Fellogden was signed from Aston Villa on a permanent deal.

However, the Tractor Boys are now said to be interested in a deal to sign a player who has been playing his football in the Championship in the 2023/24 season.

Ipswich's interest in the French League dynamo

According to what was reported by the French newspaper L'EquipeIpswich are one of a number of clubs looking to sign Rennes midfielder Glen Kamara this month.

The report claims a return to England is on the cards for the former Arsenal academy graduate, who only signed for the Ligue 1 club from Leeds United last summer.

It is reported that many teams are competing to secure his services for the second half of the season, including Ipswich, Middlesbrough, Southampton, and Turkish Trabzonspor.

The outlet adds that Trabzonspor are currently the most active team in the race, as they look to snap him up ahead of interested parties from England.

This shows that Ipswich will face plenty of competition to seal a deal for the Finland international before the end of the January transfer window, meaning they may have to act quickly if they want to bring him to Portman Road.

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However, L'Equipe did not reveal whether Rennes is willing to send the offer or not £30,000 per week Gem on loan or if they prefer to sell him on a permanent basis, while there is also no mention of any potential transfer fee for the former Rangers star.

Whether it is on loan or a permanent move, Ipswich's interest in Kamara in the January transfer window would be bad news for club captain Sam Morsi, who plays in his position.

Sam Morsi's level this season

Ipswich's meteoric rise from League One to the Premier League, with successive promotions, has seen several players, essentially, jump from the Third Division to the First Division in the space of 18 months or so.

This meant that many of the stars of the promotion-winning team in League One and in the Championship were unable to successfully progress to the Premier League.

Morsi wasn't a complete disaster in the top flight because, at least, he was a consistent starter alongside McKenna – He started 19 of his 20 matches – Instead of being transferred or left on the bench week after week.

The Egyptian international has risen 3.2 Interventions and interceptions In each game, he attempts to provide a combative presence in midfield, but he also commits almost as many fouls (1.9) as there are tackles made (2.2) per game on average.

As you can see in the table above, Morsi lost the majority of his physical battles in the Premier League and was very prone to fouls, with four direct fouls resulting in the opponent kicking the ball.

Therefore, the 33-year-old veteran, who has been regularly dribbled around in midfield, will have to be concerned about a new arrival into his position, as it could have an impact on his playing time.

Why should Ipswich sign Glen Kamara?

Ipswich must bid to win the race for Kamara before the window officially closes at the end of next month as he could come in as an upgrade to Mersey in the middle of the park.

The Finland international may be a better fit for what the Tractor Boys need in midfield as they attempt to avoid relegation from the Premier League, due to his strength in duels and security in possession.

Neil McCann, his former boss at Dundee, once described the midfielder as “Made of iron“And his physical stats with Leeds and Rennes help back that up, where he won 58% of his ground confrontations In the French League this season, he won 58% of his battles in the tournament last season.

The 29-year-old ace just has I started eight times In the French League, he completed 91% of his passing attempts without any errors leading to the opponent shooting the ball, but he caught the eye as a regular starter in England in the 2023/24 season.

As you can see in the table above, Kamara's form for Rennes and Leeds shows that he is incredibly secure in possession and rarely gives the ball away, while Morsi has made four errors that directly lead to shots this season.

This suggests that the Finnish maestro can offer greater quality in possession than the Ipswich captain, by using his technical ability to keep the ball for the Blues.

Opposition players also find it difficult to outmaneuver Kamara in midfield, as evidenced by him winning 58% of his duels and being dribbled out only 15 times last season, suggesting he could also be an upgrade on Morsi without the ball.

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Overall, the former Leeds player has the quality, both in and out of possession, to replace Morsi as a regular starter in midfield, which is why the club's interest in him is bad news for the Ipswich captain. Who may find himself on the bench in the second half of the season.