Ipswich Town strengthened their grip on the automatic promotion places with a 3-2 home win over Swansea City just before the international break; eight points now separate Kieran McKenna’s Tractor Boys and Leeds United, who are third.
Ipswich have been enthralling to watch going forward, with forwards such as Nathan Broadhead and Conor Chaplin unnerving second-tier defenses with their potency this season, and other unexpected figures in the first-team set-up chipping in with goals to give Ipswich a continued element of surprise in attack.
Omari Hutchinson has also stepped in when needed, joining Portman Road in the summer in the hopes of quickly learning the ropes at senior level and excelling with the Tractor Boys.
Since making the short-term switch from Stamford Bridge, the 20-year-old has two goals and three assists from 19 games in all competitions, with one of those goals helping his new club defeat Southampton 1-0 away at St Mary’s.
Ipswich will hope they can add to their squad with more useful loanees if possible, even going back to Chelsea and potentially recruiting another couple players from the Blues when the transfer window re-opens.
Here are three Chelsea players that could follow in Hutchinson’s footsteps in relocating to Suffolk…
Jamie Cumming
Ipswich could use some new blood in the goalkeeper positions, with first-choice shot-stopper Vaclav Hladky underwhelming in between the sticks, conceding 21 goals in 16 Championship games.
Goalkeeper Jamie Cumming on loan from Chelsea could be a welcome addition for the Tractor Boys, who already have Cieran Slicker as a young back-up purchased from Manchester City this summer.
However, the Blues keeper is a far more experienced figure than his ex-Man City counterpart, with the 24-year-old a recognisable figure to EFL fans at this point, having played on loan for Stevenage, Gillingham, and MK Dons.
The 6 foot 2 goalkeeper won Player of the Year last season at Milton Keynes in League One, keeping 14 clean sheets in total across all competitions.
If Hladky continues to leak goals at his current rate, McKenna may look to the 24-year-old as a useful utility figure to sign, with the Chelsea man eager to get back out there and gain more experience with a new club.
Josh Brooking
Josh Brooking, 21, was named to the Premier League bench against Fulham in October and could be ready for his first loan move away from Stamford Bridge to get a taste of senior football.
Brooking has made 75 appearances as a centre-back for both the Chelsea U21s and U18s, scoring two goals from the back in the process.
McKenna could swoop in for the young English defender to bolster his center-back positions and provide friendly competition for first-teamers Luke Woolfenden and Cameron Burgess, who are both guaranteed starters under their manager.
When the fixture schedule becomes congested towards the end of December, Brooking’s potential addition could prove to be a masterstroke and allow the Ipswich manager more freedom with his line-up selection in the New Year.
Leo Castledine
Leo Castledine, the standout performer for Chelsea U21s this season in Premier League 2, could be in line for a loan move away to an EFL club soon to showcase his talents at a senior level.
Casteldine’s statistics for the young Blues are astounding, having contributed to ten goals this season for Chelsea from only eight games played, scoring four times and assisting on another six, the attacking midfielder arguably outgrowing his current age bracket.
18-year-old Leo Castledine’a goal for Chelsea u21 today v Barnet
John Terry is a fan and mentioned recently how ‘he treats each session like a cup final’ 🔵 #CFC pic.twitter.com/3DXkJMAjKn
— TheSecretScout (@TheSecretScout_) July 22, 2023
McKenna’s team could use some reinforcements in central attacking midfield; Chaplin is currently operating there in a second striker style role, but Castledine, like Brooking, would keep another first-team figure on his toes if he was signed.
The 18-year-old is expected to have a bright future in the game, and Ipswich Town’s current free-flowing state is also ideal for the teenager to come into and grow from.
Leave a Reply