Football League World
·21 August 2024
Blackburn Rovers should return to Ipswich Town negotiating table after latest news: View
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Football League World
·21 August 2024
Sammie Szmodics' recent exit may be able to help Rovers in the summer transfer window
Blackburn Rovers have already had plenty of discussions with Ipswich Town over the course of this summer's transfer window, and that should potentially continue with Ali Al-Hamadi set to be available in the late stages of August.
For the time being, talks with the Tractor Boys appeared to have come to a conclusion at the end of last week for Rovers, when Sammie Szmodics completed his move to the Premier League newboys.
Szmodics departed Ewood Park following an incredible 2023/24 campaign in which he won the Championship Golden Boot, and prevented the club being relegated to League One thanks to his exploits.
But with the 28-year-old having now moved on, the issue of another attacking signing is now surely back on the agenda for Blackburn.
There can be no denying that the Lancashire outfit have been busy when it comes to their additions in attack already this summer.
Makhtar Gueye, Yuki Ohashi and Andreas Weimann have all been added to the first-team squad available to John Eustace at Ewood Park.
But with Szmodics having been joined by Sam Gallagher and Semir Telalovic in departing Blackburn this summer, they have not actually increased their depth in that role.
Given it was already clear towards the back end of last season that more additions were needed in attack, with an overwhelming reliance on Szmodics for goals, a new striker still needs to be signed.
With that in mind, it could be argued that the club ought to now be open to returning to negotiations with Ipswich, given the latest updates on Ali Al-Hamadi's future at Portman Road.
It was only back in January that Al-Hamadi joined Ipswich, completing a permanent move from League Two side AFC Wimbledon for an initial fee of just over £1 million as per the EADT, after the Iraq international tore apart the fourth tier of English football.
The striker than made some useful contributions in the second-half of last season, to help Kieran McKenna's side win promotion to the Premier League after hitting the back of the net four times in 14 appearances.
However, the latest reports from The Athletic have suggested that Ipswich are willing to loan the 22-year-old out this season, amid offers from a number of unnamed Championship clubs, and that is a race that in current circumstances, Blackburn may want to ensure they are firmly involved in.
Considering they have just done business with Ipswich for Szmodics, especially for such a reasonable fee, they may have a relationship with the Tractor Boys that can be built on to do a deal here.
Indeed, given how much their now former player seemed to enjoy his time at Ewood Park, Al-Hamadi could be given a positive recommendation over a possible move to Lancashire.
There would also be a familiar face for him to link up with at Blackburn, whose club captain Lewis Travis spent the second-half of last season on loan at Portman Road.
That too could help give Al-Hamadi confidence over a potential stint with Rovers in the coming campaign.
Rovers too should be confident that he would be a reliable outlet for them up top this season, after his performances for Ipswich earlier in the calendar year.
Of course, they have also been linked with a move for Fulham striker Jay Stansfield recently, who played under head coach John Eustace on loan at Birmingham City last season.
However, it is suggested that he could cost around £6 million to sign, and several other clubs have already been credited with an interest in him as well.
As a result, a loan deal for Al-Hamadi could potentially be more affordable for Blackburn, and after those deals involving Travis and Szmodics in recent months, just as attainable as well.
So with that in mind, there could be a case to be made for the suggestion that while talks over Szmodics are now over, Blackburn should not be ruling out further transfer negotiations with Ipswich this summer just yet.