"The trick is" - £3m Luton Town man backed for Hatters success after Ipswich Town exit | OneFootball

FLW's Luton fan pundit has given his verdict on Ali Al-Hamadi's deadline day arrival

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…

Luton Town agreed a deadline day deal with Ipswich Town to bring Ali Al-Hamadi to Kenilworth Road for the remainder of the season, with an obligation to make his stay with the Hatters a permanent one thereafter.

It was reported by Sky Sports (11.31) that the two clubs came to terms on a loan move with an obligation to buy clause.

It’s been claimed that the deal will amount to £3 million for the Hatters, who are hoping the forward will help them contend for promotion from League One this season.

The 23-year-old struggled for game time during his 18 or so months at Portman Road, and even spent a stint on loan with Stoke City last term in which he scored two goals from 15 Championship appearances.

Having been a prolific scorer for AFC Wimbledon prior to his move to Ipswich, the capture of Al-Hamadi appeared a promising one but he never managed to kick on. The striker scored four goals in his first 14 appearances, all but one of which came from the bench, to help Ipswich to promotion, though the 2024/25 season proved a struggle for the 12-cap Iraqi international.

Ali Al-Hamadi backed to succeed at Luton Town after Ipswich Town exit

When asked about Al-Hamadi’s arrival, FLW’s Luton fan pundit Simon Mills claimed it’s a move that should work well for all parties.

While he acknowledged the high number of attacking options at Kenilworth Road, he believes that Al-Hamadi’s relationship with Matt Bloomfield - a former teammate of his at Wycombe Wanderers - will see him become a key part of the side.

“I think that Al-Hamadi suits us down to the ground, and I think that it’s the same for him,” Mills told Football League World.

“I think that he needs a club like us and we need a player like him.

“I wanted to sign him from Wimbledon before he went to Ipswich, but he’s here now.

“I think he’s going to be a success, I think that we will do the right things.

“He’s got a good relationship with Matt Bloomfield, which they spoke about extensively, and we do have quite a lot of striking options but you’ve got to remember that Adebayo is not going to feature for a long time still.

“You’ve got Jacob Brown, I don’t know where he figures into any plans at the moment.

“I think we’re going to set up with a system where we can utilise our attacking options, and keep everyone fit and rotated and the trick is to get him scoring goals.”

Luton are targeting promotion back to the Championship at the first attempt this year after suffering relegation upon their return to the second division in the previous campaign.

Ali Al-Hamadi signing has potential for Luton Town

Al-Hamadi hasn’t been able to really prove himself at Championship level, so taking the step down to League One makes a lot of sense.

Working with Bloomfield could also be a positive step for his development given their relationship and history together.

Al-Hamadi showed a lot of potential in League Two with Wimbledon, so there is a forward there capable of scoring consistent goals.

A move to Luton could be how he rediscovers his form, and that would certainly be a promising prospect for the Hatters given their ambition to push for promotion this campaign.