Ipswich Town have entered the race for striker Zan Vipotnik, and Swansea City could now find it very difficult to keep hold of the Slovenian beyond the summer.
Vipotnik tearing it up in the Championship
The Swansea star is enjoying a fantastic campaign in the Championship, currently sitting at the top of the goalscoring charts, having found the net on six more occasions than Ipswich star Jack Clarke.
Championship top scorers
Goals
Zan Vipotnik
20
Haji Wright
16
Jack Clarke
14
Oli McBurnie
13
Joe Gelhardt
13
However, despite having the most prolific striker in the second tier in their ranks, the Welsh side are languishing in mid-table, whereas the Tractor Boys have now put themselves in a very strong position to win promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt.
Kieran McKenna‘s side have been playing catch-up for large parts of the campaign, but following the 2-1 victory against Birmingham City last time out, they are now sitting in second place, level on points with Middlesbrough and Millwall, despite also having two games in hand.
McKenna knows just how difficult it is to stay in the Premier League though, having suffered relegation last season, with his side finishing 16 points adrift of Tottenham Hotspur, and a lack of goals was a major problem, netting on just 36 occasions in 38 matches.
Consequently, bringing in a new striker would make sense this summer, and the race for Vipotnik’s signature is starting to heat up.
Vipotnik attracting major interest ahead of the summer
According to a report from TEAMtalk, Ipswich are now eyeing a summer move for the 24-cap Slovenia international, who has been compared to Viktor Gyokeres, with the Sweden star also making a name for himself at Swansea in the second tier.
Brighton, Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Everton, Leeds United, Brentford and West Ham are credited with an interest in the 24-year-old too, alongside Coventry City, which means the Jacks may now find it very difficult to retain his services.
After impressing in a 2-1 victory against Norwich City earlier this season, the Swansea marksman received plaudits from former manager Alan Sheehan, who said: “He [Vipotnik] was exceptional, they’re high-level goals, and you’ve seen a player that’s really enjoying his football.
“He was a livewire, led the line. There are things that we want more of and for him to be relentless within that, but in terms of scoring goals, he gave two moments of real quality and added that clinical edge we have been missing in certain games.”
Vipotnik is evidently ready to test himself at a higher level, and Ipswich should snap him up if possible.
Related
Ipswich officials set to make in-person checks on 16-goal attacker after club make exit call
He’s a wanted man…
However, their number one priority right now is to secure promotion to the Premier League, and a tough trip to Norwich City is up next, with the Tractor Boys looking to make it two wins from two against their rivals this season.