Kieran McKenna can cure huge Ipswich Town issue with European transfer raid | OneFootball

Ipswich Town's current crop of strikers are not hitting the back of the net enough at the moment

Ipswich Town and Kieran McKenna may be looking to bring in a striker this January window as the final piece of the puzzle to fire the Tractor Boys towards promotion, with none of their current options firing on all cylinders.

Despite sitting third in the EFL Championship at the halfway point of the campaign, much more was expected of Ipswich Town.

Under McKenna, the Tractor Boys earned back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League just a couple of years ago, and following relegation from the top flight last season, it was expected by many that they would be in and amongst the top two for much of this campaign.

However, that has not transpired, with the club sitting 13 points off Monday night's opponents and table-toppers Coventry City, and five behind second-placed Middlesbrough.

Although McKenna's side are the third-top scorers in the league, their striking options simply haven't been up to the required standard to be fighting at the very top of the table, which has ultimately hindered their league position.

With the January window right around the corner, Ipswich should be looking for another option to George Hirst, Ivan Azon, and Chuba Akpom up top if they are to announce themselves as serious contenders for automatic promotion once more.

Ipswich Town should make an interesting move for Greuther Furth striker Noel Futkeu this January

Ipswich hit 38 goals in the first half of the EFL Championship campaign, meaning they are on track to fall some way short of the 92 goals they hit last time they were in the second tier.

Indeed, even in the 2023/24 season, their top scorers were Conor Chaplin and Nathan Broadhead, who both netted 13, and neither was the out-and-out striker.

However, too much reliance is being placed upon Jaden Philogene and Jack Clarke for goals from wide areas, and the Tractor Boys should test the waters in a move for Greuther Furth forward Noel Futkeu.

Futkeu, 23, scored prolifically in the lower leagues of Germany before his move to Furth in the German second tier in 2024, where he netted 11 times and grabbed three assists playing every single game for the club last campaign.

This season, the forward has already scored nine and assisted twice in the first half of the campaign, and looks certain to smash his previous goal record out of the water should he remain fit and firing.

However, Ipswich and McKenna should consider a move for the German, who, whilst he lacks experience and has never played outside of Germany, has proven that he knows where the net is on a consistent basis wherever he has played.

Futkeu likely wouldn't break the bank for Ipswich, and could prove to be a real diamond in the rough, whilst providing an alternative for their current misfiring options up top.

At the halfway stage, Philogene tops Ipswich's goalscoring charts with eight, followed closely behind by Clarke with seven, and then Hirst with six.

Hirst has more often than not been McKenna's favoured choice in the centre-forward role, yet the former Leicester City forward has scored just five non-penalty goals this season, unable to fill the void left by the departing Liam Delap this summer.

Spanish striker Azon joined on loan from Italian Serie A side Como this summer, but he has scored just twice in 17 outings, though the majority of those appearances have come from the bench.

Meanwhile, Akpom has fallen far short of replicating his stunning 2022/23 season with Middlesbrough, scoring just once in 18 appearances, though again, most of his minutes have come from the bench, and more often than not, he plays just behind the striker.

Nevertheless, Ipswich are desperate for that last bit of magic in the final third to be the missing piece of the puzzle to fire them towards promotion.

The Tractor Boys actually top the xG (expected goals) table, according to FotMob, suggesting that creating hasn't been the issue, but their clinicalness in front of goal.

Futkeu presents a raw but exciting option up top, and should Ipswich make a move for the German, he could be the unexpected missing piece of McKenna's promotion puzzle.