Liam Delap has completed his £30m move to Chelsea, so Ipswich Town will be on the look-out for a new striker this summer.
With George Hirst keen to become the first-choice striker and Ali Al-Hamadi back in the fold after returning from his loan spell at Stoke City, Alex Jones picks out eight potential transfer targets to bolster the Blues' forward line.
Richard Kone
Richard Kone’s journey has been absolutely remarkable. Born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, he arrived in England to play in the Homeless World Cup back in 2019. He subsequently started playing for Athletic Newham in the Essex Senior League, scoring 88 goals in 109 appearances.
Trials at Colchester United and an unnamed Premier League club led to nothing, with his visa status preventing him from playing at a high level. That was sorted, allowing him to join Wycombe Wanderers, where he has bagged 18 goals and three assists in his first full season in League One.
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At 21, he’s got a big future. Standing at 6’1, he’s got pace, physicality and an eye for goal. He has a profile that very few players of his age and background have, which saw Luton Town bid £7m to sign him in January. Wycombe held on to him, but with their hopes of promotion dashed by a play-off semi-final defeat, a move seems likely.
His form dipped towards the end of the season, with new boss Mike Dodds not getting the best out of him like Matt Bloomfield did. Cameron Humphreys knows him well, and while the step-up to the Championship would be big, I think he would thrive in a supporting role behind Hirst in the pecking order.
William Osula
I picked William Osula as a transfer target last summer and I’m doing the same again. Having watched him live in the flesh, I’m even more impressed with him than I was before.
Born in Aarhus, Denmark, Osula joined Sheffield United’s youth system from Copenhagen. He had a brief loan spell at Derby County in League One, but made his name at Bramall Lane, earning a move to Newcastle United in August 2024 for a fee that could rise to £15m.
Minutes have been hard to come by, with Alexander Isak the main man at St. James’ Park, but Osula is clearly a real talent. He has developed from a raw youngster into a well-rounded forward. Strong and clinical, he looks like a real presence in the final third.
He scored a really well-taken header against Ipswich at the end of April. The Magpies have a good relationship with Town, and a Championship loan spell would surely help him progress. A temporary switch to Portman Road feels like it would work.
Mihailo Ivanovic
The Championship has produced quite a few top-level strikers in recent years, but there’s a real drought at the moment. No more than two or three really stand out, and it’s hard to find one that would fit the bill and be realistic for Ipswich to sign.
Mihailo Ivanovic is the leading name in that category. He came through the academy of Serbian side Vojvodina, progressing into their first team after a disappointing loan spell at Sampdoria. He quickly became one of the big names at his boyhood club, earning a £2.8m move to Millwall in August 2024.
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Neil Harris was keen to ease him into the team as he began life in England, so he was given limited minutes in the first half of last season. The second half, under Alex Neil, was a different story. He finished the campaign with 12 goals.
At just 20 years old, he was the youngest player to hit double digits in the second tier in 2024/25. He often started up top, but also dropped into a deeper role where he played just off of target man Josh Coburn.
A summer switch wouldn’t come cheap. Millwall would have every right to ask for £10-15m to let him leave, but in today’s market that might not be a bad move to make. Wolves are reportedly monitoring him.
Martijn Kaars
Looking abroad, I’ve found that the 2. Bundesliga is a hotbed of talented strikers. One of the big names in the division is Martijn Kaars, who looks set to move on from FC Magdeburg this summer.
An Ajax academy graduate, the Dutchman showed impressive goalscoring form at Volendam and Helmond Sport, leading to a move to Germany in June 2024. He has notched 19 goals and four assists in 33 games, making him the second-top scorer in the second tier.
At 26, there’s room for him to develop. He stands at 6’0 tall, but also has a good turn of pace to get away from defenders. A report from Bild suggests that ‘unnamed Premier League and Championship clubs’ are interested in him, and the player has claimed that it is ‘logical’ for him to take the next step.
His agency is the same the same as Brighton duo Jan Paul van Hecke and Mats Wieffer, and we all know that the Seagulls have let Town use their recruitment data in recent years.
Fraser Hornby
Another 2. Bundesliga player, Fraser Hornby has flown under the radar.
Born in Northampton, he came through the ranks at Everton, leaving for Reims after a loan spell at Belgian side Kortrijk. Further loans at Aberdeen and Oostende followed, but he’s found a home at Darmstadt, who have had a disappointing season.
As a result, his 12 goals and two assists are made to look all the more impressive. He ended the season in good form, notching a brace against Jahn Regensburg on final day.
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What stands out the most? The 25-year-old is huge, standing at 6’5. We all know that Kieran McKenna values height and physicality in his forward line, and Hornby brings exactly that.
Could a return to England attract him? He’d be a welcome addition to Ipswich’s forward line in the Championship.
Oli McBurnie
Another Scottish striker, Oli McBurnie has essentially had a late football gap year. Coming through at Bradford City, he has played for Swansea City and Sheffield United, with loan spells at Chester, Newport County, Bristol Rovers and Barnsley in between.
Then, leaving Bramall Lane, he upped it and moved to the Canary Islands, joining UD Las Palmas in La Liga. He’s loved life there, beginning to learn the language and learning that forgetting suncream in the blistering heat of Gran Canaria is a bad idea.
But Diego Martinez’s side have been relegated to the Spanish second tier, and that could see him depart the club after just one season. If he does, a return to England wouldn’t be a huge surprise.
His three goals and six assists this season isn’t amazing, but he’s got more than enough EFL experience. Turning 29 this summer, he’s a bit above the ideal age range, but he boasts a really impressive Championship goalscoring record and knows what it takes to earn promotion from the level.
He certainly isn't the most appealing name on this list, but he would be a good player to have in the squad with some key characteristics.
Joaquin Panichelli
Argentine striker Joaquin Panichelli wasn’t someone who made my initial list, but I watched him play the full 90 minutes for CD Mirandes in their La Liga 2 play-off game against Racing Santander and decided that I couldn’t leave him off.
In that game alone, he bagged three assists in a 3-3 draw, but it was his work rate that stood out. He dropped into deeper areas and linked up play. He showed his mobility and physicality, standing at 6’2. In my eyes, he ticked a lot of boxes for what McKenna would want in a striker.
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Panichelli made his name in River Plate’s youth academy, but moved abroad in January 2023 when he signed for Deportivo Alaves, initially joining their reserves. He quickly progressed into the first team before joining Mirandes on loan, where he’s been a revelation.
He has helped fire a small club, who have never played in La Liga, right into the promotion mix, bagging 20 goals and four assists in the regular season. His parent club will surely be keen to keep him next season, but money is tight at the bottom end of La Liga and he could help turn a big profit.
At 22, he’s got a high ceiling. A move to England would be a big step up, but he’s shown what he’s capable of.
We are delighted to confirm the signing of Stefanos Tzimas from Bundesliga 2 side FC Nuremburg. 😁
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) February 3, 2025
The 19-year-old has signed a contract that runs until June 2030, but he will remain in Germany until the end of the season. 🤝
Stefanos Tzimas
I did consider adding Evan Ferguson to this list, given how badly his loan spell at West Ham went. Dropping down to the Championship would probably be best for his career, but I’m not sure I can see it.
There’s a clear bond between Brighton and Ipswich, however. The Blues have taken Jeremy Sarmiento and Julio Enciso on loan in the last two seasons, developing them well. Why not have one more?
Stefanos Tzimas has had a bizarre season. Loaned out to FC Nurnberg, the 2. Bundesliga side triggered their option to buy him from PAOK in the winter transfer window, immediately selling him to Brighton for a reported fee of £20.8m before taking him back on loan for the rest of the season.
Fabian Hurzeler’s side clearly have high hopes for him, but it may be a bit much to ask him to adapt to English football at the drop of a hat. 12 goals and four assists is a good haul for the 19-year-old Greek, who has similar traits to Hirst – tall yet agile, clinical and calm in front of goal. He also likes to drop deep and link play.
A season in Suffolk could be a good step for his development.
