Stoke City told to make Ipswich Town player a "statement" permanent summer signing | OneFootball

FLW's Potters fan pundit wants to see the club attempt to sign Ali Al-Hamadi on a full-time deal after a good start to his loan spell

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Stoke City have been urged to try and sign Ipswich Town loanee Ali Al-Hamadi on a permanent deal this summer after his strong start to life in the Potteries since his January move from Portman Road.

Al-Hamadi joined the Potters on loan from the Premier League strugglers late in the winter window, with the aim of rediscovering his scoring touch at the bet365 Stadium after a tough half-season spell in the top-flight amid limited chances to make an impact in Kieran McKenna's side.

He bagged on his Stoke debut in a vital win over fellow bottom-half side Hull City, and despite only finding the net once more since, he has impressed in red and white as Mark Robins' men aim to pull away from the Championship relegation zone.

Stoke City: Ali Al-Hamadi verdict amid permanent deal demand

Stoke thought they had hit the jackpot with the loan capture of Tom Cannon from Leicester City last summer, and he turned out to be a key goalscorer for the club in the first-half of the campaign with 11 goals in 25 appearances despite their tough season as a team.

Their worst fears were realised in the January window, however, as he was recalled by the Foxes to be sold on to promotion-hopefuls Sheffield United for a fee that Stoke were unable to even come close to affording. The Potters were in need of a new centre-forward to rely on to score regularly, and Al-Hamadi was passed the baton to become Robins' main number nine as he joined from Ipswich.

He got off to a great start with a goal against Hull, but then did not score in any of his next six outings and even saw his main competition in Sam Gallagher bag a brace off the bench last Saturday against Coventry City.

Gallagher's exploits may have spurred Al-Hamadi on to make a bigger impact against Blackburn Rovers last week, and if they did, it worked like a dream as he netted the winner to move the Potters four points away from the bottom three.

He has scored twice in seven appearances for Robins' side, and his all-round game has received praise from supporters and the Stoke boss alike, who dubbed him "outstanding" in the aftermath of that win over Blackburn.

FLW's Potters fan pundit, Sam Harrison, has urged Stoke's chiefs to attempt to sign Al-Hamadi on a permanent transfer from the Tractor Boys due to his impressive impact since his arrival on loan, after we asked him for one wish he has for the club ahead of the summer transfer window.

“For one realistic wish, I’m going to go for potentially bringing in Ali Al-Hamadi on a permanent deal. Obviously he is on loan at the moment from Ipswich," Sam told FLW.

“It was always a tough one with Tom Cannon leaving. It was always going to be a big hole that was missing, because at the end of the day he was getting us goals in a team and a league season where Stoke weren’t doing well. He was one of the very few shining lights.

"Al-Hamadi coming in, I just think that, yes, albeit he’s only got two goals at the moment in seven games, but the impact and difference that he brings, there is so much more to his game than just purely him getting the goals.

“Yes he will want to get more, and hopefully he stays fit, but I just think after this season, having a goal threat and impact from a striker like him could be crucial to us just having a different season.

“It would be a difficult (deal) money-wise, and it maybe depends on outgoings. I do think if we can get him in on a permanent then it is a real statement, and a real good building block to work off in the summer window.”

A permanent Stoke City move for Ali Al-Hamadi hinges on numerous factors ahead of the summer

Stoke's full focus right now will be on staying in the second-tier at all costs. Al-Hamadi is a shoo-in for Robins' starting eleven when he is fit, so it is imperative that he stays out of the treatment room in the weeks to come to give the Potters the best chance of avoiding relegation.

His parent club Ipswich have not enjoyed the dream return to the Premier League that they would have wanted so far, and their survival looks more unlikely as every week passes, with Kieran McKenna's side sitting six points from safety after going without a win in the league since December.

One huge positive for the Portman Road outfit has been the form of young striker Liam Delap, who joined the club in a £20 million move from Manchester City last summer, despite never playing in the top-flight before this term.

His summer exit already feels like a foregone conclusion with two months of the campaign still yet to play, with a whole host of top-flight clubs being linked to his services. Ipswich will surely have to do without him if they are back in the Championship next season, and they will no doubt be keeping tabs on how Al-Hamadi is faring out on loan at Stoke, as a result.

He has already proven that he has the tools to be effective in the second-tier with the Tractor Boys, after he netted four times in 14 Championship appearances in their promotion campaign. If he can keep impressing at the bet365 Stadium from now until May, then McKenna may have him in mind for a starring role in his squad next season.

With that said, a permanent deal could be tough for Stoke to make in the summer. It would be nigh-on impossible to do if they were to be relegated to League One this season too, with the 23-year-old unlikely to want to return to the third-tier after playing above that level for the last 18 months.

Al-Hamadi seems happy at Stoke, with it being his first real taste of consistent first-team football at a high standard in his career, and at any level since he left AFC Wimbledon last year. He may well be open to a full-time move to ST4 in the summer, but the Potters have numerous obstacles to overcome in the next few months if they want to turn his loan into a permanent switch anytime soon.