Ipswich Town must react quickly after Sunderland transfer news to fix glaring issue | OneFootball

Ipswich should make a move for Sunderland's Wilson Isidor this summer to fix their striker issue

Ipswich Town have got their noses over the line, and will officially be playing Premier League football once again next season, bouncing back to the top-flight at the first time of asking.

It hasn't been a straightforward season for Ipswich, who haven't really lived up to expectations set upon them following their return to the second tier, but, most crucially, have earned their ticket back to the top-flight.

A busy summer transfer window saw key players such as Sam Morsy, Massimo Luongo, Nathan Broadhead, Conor Chaplin, Liam Delap, Omari Hutchinson, Luke Woolfenden, and Cameron Burgess leave the club, with McKenna facing a tough task of replacing each one.

Seeing upwards of £80 million coming in through player sales, the Tractor Boys spent a further £50 million on new arrivals, including the likes of Kasey McAteer, Azor Matusiwa, Marcelino Nunez, and the record Championship arrival in Sindre Walle Egeli, bought for £17.5 million from Danish side FC Nordsjaelland.

Meanwhile, Anis Mehmeti was signed from Bristol City in January to add to Jaden Philogene and Jack Clarke on the wings, whilst Ipswich failed in a late move for Millwall's Femi Azeez in the winter, as McKenna attempted to stockpile the Championship's best wide players.

However, the glaring problem of not replacing Delap up top has persisted throughout the year, and an opportunity to address this matter has now arisen.

Ipswich Town should look to sign Sunderland Wilson Isidor following Premier League promotion

For all of their attacking talent, Ipswich have not relied upon any one person for goals this season, with three players in their ranks hitting double digits for goals scored this campaign, namely Jack Clarke, Jaden Philogene, and George Hirst (four if you count Anis Mehmeti's goals for Bristol City).

Hirst spent the season rotating up top with Spanish forward Ivan Azon, who joined on loan in the summer from Italian side Como, with the former Leicester City striker failing to pick up the mantle left by Delap's departure.

Whilst 11 goals is a solid return, it's fairly uninspiring for a side packed with the talent that Ipswich possess, and when considering Swansea City's Zan Vipotnik hit 23 goals, it became clear that this was always going to be an area of focus in the upcoming window, regardless of what division they would be playing in next season, especially with Azon returning to Italy.

Now, with Premier League football coming back to Portman Road, McKenna must prioritise bringing in a new centre-forward this summer, and Sunderland's Wilson Isidor could be an excellent fit.

The Haitian, according to The Sun, is ready to leave Wearside this summer, having seen his game time slashed upon the Black Cats' promotion, with Regis Le Bris preferring the physical specimen that is Brian Brobbey up top.

Isidor, 25, scored 12 and assisted two in Sunderland's promotion season in the Championship, and has scored five goals so far this campaign in 30 top-flight appearances, though the bulk of those have come from the bench.

Brought to England after three years in Russia with Lokomotiv Moscow and Zenit St Petersburg, Isidor quickly became a fan favourite at the Stadium of Light and was a key component in the club's return to the top-flight.

He hasn't been given a real chance to prove himself in the Premier League, and should he indeed leave this summer, he will be eager to prove to Sunderland that they made a mistake in not giving him more minutes.

Isidor recently changed his national allegiance to Haiti in anticipation of representing the North American country at this year's FIFA World Cup, and having gone five months without a league start, will be eager to make his mark at the tournament.

Sunderland demanded a fee of £25 million for the striker in January, but this asking price saw any potential suitors put off by any deal, as they may well have to lower that price tag in the coming months.

Isidor has a point to prove, and with a year in the top-flight under his belt, he could be an excellent option for Ipswich to lead their line back in the top flight, and should look to secure a deal ahead of the competition this summer.

Wilson Isidor could be an excellent option for Kieran McKenna at Ipswich Town next season

McKenna has always been pretty set in his ways since taking charge of Ipswich in December 2021, almost exclusively preferring to lineup in a 4-2-3-1 shape.

The Northern Irishman is unlikely to change that heading into next season, with a lone striker needing to have numerous key aspects to their game to be successful in his system.

Kieffer Moore and Delap are physical options and offer more than just goals, with their hold-up player and role in build-up being just as important as sticking the ball in the back of the net.

Both Azon and Hirst can do this job, but not to the same effect, and this is something that Isidor could thrive in.

His work rate from the front is what made him so popular on Wearside, and if he were able to reflect that in Suffolk, there is no reason why he couldn't be a success.

Of course, he would need to improve his goalscoring record, but if McKenna can instil confidence into the Haitian, he could be an excellent purchase for Ipswich.