Sheffield Wednesday reach Ipswich Town transfer breakthrough | OneFootball

Ali Al-Hamadi is set to join Sheffield Wednesday on loan for the season

Sheffield Wednesday have made progress in their pursuit of Ali Al-Hamadi and are set to sign the Ipswich Town forward on loan.

The Owls struggled to maintain the intensity they set down in the first half of their home opener in League One against Bradford City last Thursday, with the Bantams able to control the second half after weathering quite the storm in the first.

Part of that was down to the lack of quality attacking options off the bench as those who started the game began to tire. Indeed, two of the four subs Henrik Pedersen made saw his centre-back duo replaced.

Wednesday have had to build a squad from scratch this summer from the ashes of the Dejphon Chansiri reign, and after creating a decent starting eleven, the focus recently has been on ensuring that they have sufficient depth to be a constant threat not only over 90 minutes, but across a long season, too.

Sheffield Wednesday set to loan Ali Al-Hamadi

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Wednesday reporter Joe Crann stated on Monday evening that the Owls held a strong interest in Ipswich striker Ali Al-Hamadi. On Tuesday morning, he provided a positive update, in that talks had progressed, and the Iraqi international is expected to join on loan.

The 24-year-old's momentum has derailed massively over the last couple of years since he joined the Tractor Boys back in January 2024 from AFC Wimbledon, where he scored 23 times in 42 League Two games in that calendar year.

Unfortunately, Al-Hamadi fell victim to Ipswich's rapid rise up the EFL, and just months after arriving at Portman Road, he was a Premier League player.

He failed to make a big impact on loan at Stoke City in the second half of the 2024/25 campaign and, similarly, at Luton Town in League One last year, he only made 13 appearances in a season marred by injury.

The 24-year-old arrived at Kenilworth Road with a calf injury, and just two weeks after his debut in November, he suffered another injury while on international duty with Iraq, which kept him out until late January.

With Ipswich back in the Premier League, Al-Hamadi wasn't going to be playing regularly at his parent club, and Sheffield Wednesday will be hoping it'll be third time's the charm when it comes to loan spells away from the Tractor Boys.

How Sheffield Wednesday fans have reacted to Ali Al-Hamadi breakthrough

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The reaction amongst the Wednesday fanbase surrounding Al-Hamadi's arrival has been mixed, to say the least.

A lot of Owls fans have looked at his recent record and, understandably, not gotten too enthusiastic. One said on X, "Awful awful signing. The lad has hardly scored in the last 3-4 years. 1 goal in 13 in League One last season is a joke, and when he’s not scoring he’s injured."

"We’ve already got strikers that don’t score goals. We need ones that actually know where the net is," another said.

Al-Hamadi recently had a medical called off for a move to Polish side Rakow due to cardiac issues, and while that is a slight concern, some Wednesday fans are willing to let him prove his fitness at Hillsborough. If he can, he could get back to his pre-Ipswich scoring ways.

"Had a quiet couple of years but definitely a decent player. I’m in!" one fan commented. "Think he’s a good profile for what we need. Lacked goals since Wimbledon but also playing time. Could do well given regular football," another added.

Sheffield Wednesday have to take risks as they work under budget restrictions

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Ultimately, while it's been quite an exciting summer in terms of incomings at Sheffield Wednesday, the signings made towards the end of the window as it enters its final week may be slightly underwhelming compared to those made earlier on.

It's no secret that the Owls are operating under a league-approved budget; new owner David Storch outlined that in late July. So, this final week will see Wednesday look to bulk the squad out, but with a little less spending capacity than they had a month or so ago.

That may mean taking a few more risks than fans ideally would want, but on the flip side, if Al-Hamadi can stay fit with regular game time, he'd be a dangerous option for Henrik Pedersen at the top end of the pitch.

The 24-year-old hasn't played over 1,000 minutes of league football in either of the last two seasons, but in the 2023/24 campaign, regular games led him to a 21-goal term in all competitions. If he can stay fit, Wednesday may have a coup on their hands.