Ipswich Town should consider joining Sunderland and Burnley in race to sign 9-goal striker | OneFootball

Ipswich Town should consider entering the race for FC Nantes striker Matthis Abline as they search for a replacement for the outgoing Liam Delap

Ipswich Town should consider entering the race for FC Nantes striker Matthis Abline as they search for a replacement for the outgoing Liam Delap.

The 22-year-old French forward has been identified by FBRef as the most statistically similar player to Delap - and as per reports from Sacha Tavolieri - is already attracting interest from newly-promoted sides Sunderland and Burnley.

With Chelsea already completing the deal for Delap, the Tractor Boys will surely need to act quickly if they want to secure a like-for-like replacement for their departing talisman.

Matthis Albine is the perfect replacement for Liam Delap at Ipswich Town

According to data analysis from FBRef, Matthis Abline emerges as the striker whose playing profile most closely resembles that of Liam Delap - making him an ideal candidate to fill the void left by the Manchester City academy graduate's exit.

The French U-21 International notched nine goals for Nantes in Ligue 1 this season as they narrowly escaped relegation from the French top flight - staying up by three points.

While his shooting metrics suggest he might be slightly less clinical than Delap - overperforming his expected goals (xG) by just 0.5 compared to Delap's 2.7 - this could be offset by the increased chances he would likely have in the Championship.

What makes Abline particularly attractive as a replacement is his similar work ethic and pressing ability.

Albline touched the ball 109 times in his team's defensive third compared to Delap's 107 - while both players recorded identical tackle numbers - 11. This clearly shows Abline possesses the same pressing intensity that made Delap such a valuable asset for Kieran McKenna's system.

After signing for Nantes permanently from Rennes for a club-record €12m, Abline has continued developing into one of France's most promising young strikers - he has 32 goals in 132 appearances overall in his career.

The race for Abline's signature is already intensifying - with Marseille having submitted a concrete offer - while now-Premier League sides Sunderland and Burnley have registered interest along with Brentford.

Nantes owner Waldemar Kita is reportedly holding out for €20m and wanting a bidding war to commence for his young star - this valuation would present somewhat of a challenge for Ipswich, although they did receive £30m for Delap.

Ipswich Town already have proven Championship quality players

Following their relegation from the Premier League, Ipswich Town find themselves in a somewhat strong position regarding their squad building for a Championship promotion push next season.

Unlike many relegated sides, the Tractor Boys have already assembled a strong core of proven second-tier performers over the past couple of transfer windows - with players like Jacob Greaves and Sammie Szmodics - who both made over 40 appearances in the Championship in 2023/24.

There is no doubt adding a player of Abline's ceiling would be both a shrewd piece of business and an ideal replacement for Delap - as the Tractor Boys aim for an immediate return to the top-flight.