Town are hoping to sign AFC Wimbledon striker Ali Al-Hamadi before the transfer window closes next Thursday.

Two new number nines have been top of the Blues’ wish-list throughout January and Town now have their sights on Al-Hamadi.

The 21-year-old is currently away with Iraq at the AFC Asian Cup, helping them to top their group, which also included Elkan Baggott’s Indonesia.

Al-Hamadi was born in Iraq but moved to Liverpool in 2003 as a one-year-old during the Iraq War.

Having been a youth player with Tranmere and Swansea, the 6ft 2in tall frontman joined Wycombe Wanderers in 2021 following a trial but made his first senior appearances during a loan spell in the National League with Bromley.

Having been a regular for the Chairboys in League One throughout 2021/22 and in the first half of the following season, Al-Hamadi, who has been capped 12 times by Iraq, scoring three goals, moved on to Wimbledon in League Two on a free transfer in January 2023.

Since then, he has scored 27 goals in 40 starts and eight sub appearances for the Wombles, including 17 this season.

In December, Peterborough were linked with a £1.5 million move for Al-Hamadi, a claim which was subsequently dismissed by Posh.

He missed Wimbledon’s recent FA Cup tie with the Blues as he was away at the Asian Cup.

With Iraq having hopes of progressing a long way into the competition, Al-Hamadi may not be available to the Blues until more than a week into February should a deal be done before the Thursday 1st February 11pm deadline.

The Blues are in need of two strikers during this window with Dane Scarlett having been recalled by parent club Spurs and George Hirst having undergone hamstring surgery which will keep him out for most of the rest of the season.

Long-time target Jay Stansfield is set to stay on loan at Birmingham from Fulham the Midlanders have confirmed, while we understand there has been no progress on the Blues’ move for Blackburn striker Sam Gallagher, while it’s reported that former Town striker Kieffer Moore is now expected to stay at AFC Bournemouth.

Photo: Imago Images Sports

ITFCSG added 15:55 - Jan 25 blues1 Well the reality is that we are competing with them now for the remaining 18 games left this season. It is perfectly fine if Al-Hamadi is signed with a long-term development intent but its very unlikely he will have the ability to fire us to the Prem this season. What we need is 1, preferably 2 strikers with Championship or even Prem experience and nous that can 'plug and play' in our starting XI NOW. Even Vardy, as mentioned by many above took 2 full seasons with Leicester to step up. It is an unfair competition, FFP and parachute payments - but as a realist we need much better just to remain second for the rest of the season. Fingers crossed still

1

WhoisJimmyJuan added 15:55 - Jan 25 Let's also consider who we are actually able to sign as well before hitting the negative button. Saying we must get someone in with Premier league/Championship experience doesn't look realistic. Suffolkboy is right, let's trust KM/MA. blues1 is also right: this is just an IF at this time.
3

Europablue added 16:06 - Jan 25 If you are disappointed by the signings we have made and/or will make, then maybe you set your expectations too high.
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planetblue_2011 added 16:26 - Jan 25 Could be a bargain you never know!! Gallagher will sign too you watch.
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chepstowblue added 16:32 - Jan 25 This has a Gassan Ahadme feel about it. Uninspiring link, but he's having a good season so he may be worth a punt. We need someone to come in and immediately take the striker's role, not be an understudy to Jackson. A big step up from league 2 to the championship.Also worrying that his name sounds too much like Oliver Hardy!!
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WestSussexBlue added 16:32 - Jan 25 Most of the comments I’ve read seem to make the assumption that Al-Hamadi will be brought here as an immediate starter. I tend to think he’ a Scarlett type signing albeit a permanent one. At 21 he’ll be coached and trained up to the level we expect over time. I hope, and feel the bigger striker signing is yet to come next week.
6

jon_talbot56 added 16:50 - Jan 25 Well blow me down. I was watching Iraq the other day and said to an Iraqi friend we could do with one or two of their players, especially a striker. He said he thought there was as Iraqi playing in England but we couldn’t find him, probably cos he’s not in the PL. No idea if he will be any good but being 6’2” is a great start. We lack muscle up front. Poor old Kayden isn’t strong enough whatever his other qualities. He got absolutely nothing out of Leicester. I don’t like it when people criticise him. He does his best. But we could really do with a beast.

4

bluelodgeblue added 16:54 - Jan 25 If this happens I see it as an investment rather than a direct replacement for Hirst? I feel someone else will take that role?
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dirtydingusmagee added 16:54 - Jan 25 well i for one think if K Mac thinks he will do a job i'll go with his judgement rather than the X-BOX dreamers. You have to understand you cant just pluck the ideal players out of the air and January is a bad time to expect much . Dont despair KM WILL do all he can .Other teams are in same boat .
7

Bert added 17:07 - Jan 25 There has hardly been any movement in or out within the Championship so I really don’t know what some people on here really expect. We saw in the second half against Leicester that we have players who can do the business so better to wait for a player we want than get someone in as a panic measure. There will probably be a flurry of activity in the last 24 hours of the window as clubs release players.

4

oldtimer3 added 17:11 - Jan 25 Get him in, only 21 and has already shown he know where the goal is. Onwards and upwards
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Len_Brennan added 17:26 - Jan 25 ITFC95 - I did say that we had expectations of a £3m+ Premier League striker, so it's probably me you're referring to. Fair enough, I didn't word that properly; it was a Jay Stansfield type Premier League striker I was thinking of, as opposed to an established, experienced one. Someone who could have the impact at Championship level that he is having. Europa - we have to have high expectations, given what Ashton & McKenna have said previously, and the position we find ourselves in atm. Of course we can't complete with the 3 parachute clubs in the market for £10m players, but even before Hirst got injuried, we were looking at bringing someone good in up front; it's an absolute must now. If we don't go up this year, we could lose a few players & possibly a manager over the Summer, and we will have major regrets about not pushing on when the chance was there, like the lasf playoff season. Ashton himself pledged this time last season, that he would leave no stone unturned in the push for promotion, so that he would have no regrets if we didn't; he was as good as his word then, so I would expect the same this time out, & we will have a serious forward in the door to start the Preston match.

4

SussexTractor added 17:27 - Jan 25 Given the negative comments do remember we were linked to Jamie Vardy, a non league player and we were unprepared to pay £1 million..he turned out ok
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Len_Brennan added 17:28 - Jan 25 ITFCSG - apologies, I marked you down in error at the top of this page; should have been a +
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SpiritOfJohn added 17:34 - Jan 25 It's great that we are currently second in the league and competing with the clubs who are receiving multi-million pound 'failure' payments, but let's not be too fixated on getting to the Premier league at all costs this season. The aim is to continuously improve, enjoy the journey and see where it takes us. This player seems to fit the usual profile more than others we have been linked with. We're unlikely to sign another Marcus Stewart in this window, so why not give him a chance and hope there is another addition on the way.

3

itfcskayman added 18:01 - Jan 25 A lot of our transfers come completely out of the blue. I’ll believe it when they hold up a shirt at Portman road. Not opposed to bringing this lad in but surely would be ideal to get a striker with championship experience. FFP playing a big part in this window so we just have to be patient and trust Ashton and McKenna.
1

Steelmonkey added 18:15 - Jan 25 As last year we seem to have dipped out of our top intended targets, so we see how difficult it is to compete with teams valuations of their players, so maybe we will fall at the second half hurdle of the season through Hirsts injury, if we do get Al-Hamadi it will take him awhile to adjust to the pace of the Championship. I do wonder if the comments we have all read on here directed towards Ladapo have played a big part in his want away from the club and for that reason it has left us short of cover in that position, I think our management haven’t stood in his way because what’s the point in keeping hold of a player who sees his every move being watched and fans with their knives out willing to attack him for any thing he does wrong. In my view these certain fans have driven him out of PR with their caustic comments.

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Billysherlockblue added 18:27 - Jan 25 We all have to start somewhere so id like to see this lad coming and have a go... mabey he'll turn out good mabey he wont. But hes young hungery and if kmk likes him good enough for me. Then he can prove to himself and us hes the real deal. Bring him on i say!
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ThaiBlue added 18:42 - Jan 25 Think this guy will do OK for us.very quick likes a shot and is a big guy will prove to be very useful.
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dieselmorris added 18:48 - Jan 25 if you are a natural goal threat and know where the net is, this is something that isn't coached its just there. might improve other parts of a strikers game such as movement, bringing others into play, but goalscoring is just there and it looks like this boy has that.
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BcarefulwhatUWish4 added 18:51 - Jan 25 Worth remembering that Kayden Jackson scored a fair few goals in League 2 and he was able to make the step up.
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Saxonblue74 added 19:27 - Jan 25 How many of us were underwhelmed by the Luongo signing yet were delighted by his contract extension? Who says this is the only striker we're in for? Who thinks it's easy for us to compete in this market with our FFP restrictions? And lastly, who thinks they're better qualified than our PR professionals to identify potential signings? We're all entitled to our opinion of course, mine is that they've done a hell of a job so far and I trust them to continue doing so.

2

Broadbent23 added 19:28 - Jan 25 With Leeds and other teams looking at AAH. This striker must have some promise. Although a bit underwhelming since we were chasing Moore, we have to trust our management team with their choice. He could be another Vardy. The only problem is he needs to be an instant impact for us. Have we given up on promotion this year. Trying to sign a striker or two has been down to financial deals which the Game changer management will not sanction or FFP maybe broken. The jury is out. Hopefully we will fill our vacant seats and continue this good form.

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pablo123 added 19:35 - Jan 25 Oh god no
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se20blue added 19:52 - Jan 25 Ali Ibrahim Karim Al-Hamadi played at Wembley Stadium for Bromley who beat Wrexham(Hollywood FC) to win the 2021/22 FA Trophy final.
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