Stoke City close to sealing Ipswich Town transfer deal | OneFootball

Stoke City are hoping to strike an agreement with Ipswich Town as early as Friday

Stoke City are pushing to complete a deal to sign Ali Al-Hamadi from Ipswich Town this Friday.

According to John Percy, the Potters are aiming to find an agreement with the Premier League side today.

Al-Hamadi has struggled for game time since making the switch to Portman Road in the previous January window, moving from AFC Wimbledon.

The Iraq international made 14 appearances in the Championship last season, including only one start, and has played 11 times in the top flight so far this term.

Stoke pushing for Al-Hamadi deal

Stoke are hoping that a deal can be agreed with Ipswich today, with a medical expected as early as Friday if terms can be met.

It remains to be seen whether it will be a loan or permanent move to Stoke, with talks still underway.

Mark Robins is looking to bolster the team’s attacking options before the market shuts on 3 February.

The loss of Tom Cannon has come as a major blow to the club, with the forward returning to his parent side Leicester City midway through the month.

The Ireland international was subsequently sold on a permanent basis to Championship rivals Sheffield United.

Al-Hamadi scored four times in the second division last season, helping Ipswich gain automatic promotion to the Premier League.

Stoke City league position

Stoke will be looking to avoid relegation to League One in the second half of this campaign.

Robins’ side are currently 19th, just two points clear of Hull City in 22nd, after 28 games played each.

The Potters have failed to win any of their last four in the league, bringing them closer to being at risk of falling into the bottom three.

Next up for Stoke is a home clash against Oxford United on Saturday afternoon in a 12.30pm kick-off.

Stoke have to get a forward in the door this January

Stoke losing Cannon was a blow because he was a focal point for the team’s attack and gave Robins an option that can get goals at this level.

Bringing in Al-Hamadi on loan for the rest of the campaign would be a risky but potentially suitable replacement.

He made the jump from League Two to the Championship 12 months ago, and now has Premier League experience under his belt.

While he’s lacked proper regular minutes at this level, he did score four times from just 293 minutes in the Championship last year, which isn’t a bad return considering the leap he’d made up the English football pyramid.