Another former Swan on the move – this time to Ipswich Town ahead of Leeds United interest

There was genuine hope when Ali Al-Hamadi was at Swansea that we had another star for the future but he is now back in the Championship having been snapped up by promotion chasing Ipswich Town after some superb performances for AFC Wimbledon.

Twenty-six goals in twenty-nine games tells you all that you need to know but it is also enough for Ipswich to make a move for the player who was also attracting interest from Leeds United.

It was back in March 2021 that we asked the question on these pages if we had another one for the future but just a few months later the player was on the move to pastures new.

Al-Hamadi left the Swans in the summer on 2021, a move that he described himself as a gamble after he was offered a new contract to stay “I left Swansea when I had a contract offer there and it would have been really easy to stay comfortable in that amazing environment with great facilities,” he told the Athletic.

“But I chose to gamble. There are ups and downs with that, trying lots of different clubs and getting rejected, I went on loan spells, like to Bromley in the National League, and now I’m at Wimbledon and loving it. Playing every week is what every player wants. As a player, when you feel loved and appreciated, that’s when you play your best football.”

Just a few weeks ago he told Sky Sports of his ambitions to reach the Premier League “For me, the sky is the limit,” he said. “I want to play in the Premier League; I want to play as high as I possibly can. These are the things I visualise and what keep me going every day when I’m working hard.”

Given Ipswich’s league position that could come around quicker than maybe even he expected.

The fee is believed to be £1.75 million – an AFC Wimbledon record with a sizeable amount reported as going to Wycombe as part of a sell-on clause.