Ipswich Town should revisit move for Crystal Palace winger – 2 years after first being linked | OneFootball

Ipswich Town should make a move for Crystal Palace winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, two years after they were first linked.

As Ipswich Town prepare to try and gain automatic promotion back to the Premier League once again, the Tractor Boys should be lining up a move for Crystal Palace winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi.

Kieran McKenna’s men gained back-to-back automatic promotions to propel themselves from League One and into the Premier League, before suffering a fairly humbling experience in the top-flight last season.

However, the two transfer windows with Premier League riches saw Ipswich build what appears to be an all-star second-tier squad, with the likes of Jacob Greaves, Sammie Szmodics, Jack Clarke and Jaden Philogene, among others, being poached by Town.

Now, as they prepare to once again challenge for the second-tier title, they have again been busy in the transfer window with the additions of Cedric Kipre, Ashley Young and Azor Matusiwa before their hijacking of Birmingham City’s move for Ajax attacker Chuba Akpom.

Whilst they do appear well stocked in attack, there is still reason for Ipswich to look to further bolster their ranks in the final third of the pitch, and Rak-Sakyi should be the man that they target.

Ipswich Town should finally get their man in Crystal Palace's Jesurun Rak-Sakyi

The Crystal Palace academy product was reportedly the subject of interest from Ipswich in the summer of 2023, following their League One promotion, having enjoyed a stunning season on loan in the third-tier with Charlton Athletic.

A deal never quite came to fruition and Ipswich didn’t look back with too much regret as they finished second behind Leicester City, and earned themselves a spot in the Premier League.

However, two years on, Rak-Sakyi has matured even further and now could well be the time for Ipswich to pounce and get themselves a player who could be the real difference maker in Suffolk.

Last season, he spent the campaign on loan at Sheffield United under the management of Chris Wilder, who has often been averse to actually using wingers throughout his managerial career.

Despite that, Rak-Sakyi made himself an important part of the Blades’ squad as they missed out on automatic promotion before losing the Championship play-off final in dramatic circumstances at Wembley Stadium.

Even though he remained a player of real promise and quality last year, playing at a team more likely to be relentlessly and consistently on the front foot and attacking is likely to suit Rak-Sakyi even more, should he move to Ipswich.

During his stint at Bramall Lane, his first time competing regularly above the third-tier, Rak-Sakyi proved himself to be more than capable of holding his own, and even proving to be a point of difference.

Wilder's lack of finding a guaranteed starting striker due to injury and inconsistency with the likes of Kieffer Moore, Tyrese Campbell and Tom Cannon having been used hurt his direct goal involvement column, with expected assists of 3.48 but managing just a couple.

A dribble success rate of 54.7% with 47 successful dribbles over the course of the campaign highlights his ability on the ball, with only Mikey Johnston, Aidomo Emakhu, Borja Sainz and Luca Koleosho managing more successful dribbles per 90 than Rak-Sakyi.

His ability to run with the ball with success, combined with an improving end product that is already at a good level marks him as one of the most exciting players for a Championship club to sign.

He ended up as United's fourth top scorer in the league, behind Campbell and Gustavo Hamer, whilst having their third highest xA behind Hamer and Harrison Burrows. Doing that for a team as good as Sheffield United were last season only further highlights his quality.

Throughout this summer, Rangers have been reportedly interested in the winger, with Russell Martin having previously pursued a move for Rak-Sakyi last summer, whilst with Southampton.

It has even been suggested that Rak-Sakyi is himself preferring a move to Ibrox, but a deal between Palace and Rangers, whether that be a loan or a permanent move, has yet to happen.

With that, Ipswich should consider pulling off another hijack of a transfer, and strike a deal with the Eagles that would see them potentially bring in the ideal Omari Hutchinson replacement.

It has been reported that both Brentford and Nottingham Forest have had bids rejected for the England U21 international, but the Tractor Boys haven’t said he isn’t for sale, but more that they are holding out for more.

With it seeming as though it is an inevitability that Hutchinson departs Portman Road, Rak-Sakyi’s ability to play out-wide as well as cut inside, and his similar shooting and dribbling attributes, would mark him out as the ideal and seamless replacement in Suffolk - even if they do also have the likes of Wes Burns and a proven Championship star in Jaden Philogene waiting in the wings.