Despite making significant Premier League spending last season, Kieran McKenna’s Town added some Championship all-stars to their roster, including Jacob Greaves, Jaden Philogene, Jack Clarke, and Sammie Szmodics.
However, given that both players are currently occupying a packed space in the Ipswich team, the latter’s signing is the reason to think their rumored interest in Billing is unwarranted and needless.
McKenna may be well aware of his actions, but Ipswich’s wealth seems to be putting them at risk of hoarding, which might lead to a number of problems.
After the work they did to make sure they snuck Birmingham City’s bid for Chuba Akpom, Ipswich’s purported pursuit of Denmark international Philip Billing would be strange.
Capology estimates that Billing makes £45,000 a week. He spent the second part of the previous season on loan at Napoli from AFC Bournemouth, where he made a few significant contributions as they won their fourth Serie A championship.
Billing has largely built a career on being a box-crashing, goal-scoring midfielder, which has led to his occasional standout performances and contributions for the Neapolitans.
That kind of decisive influence, albeit limited in his all-around game, is what earned him his move to Bournemouth and helped him build a solid reputation at Huddersfield Town. It also appealed to a team like Napoli that would hardly utilize him unless there was an extraordinary situation.
In addition to the fact that it would be difficult to deny someone consistent playing time in the Championship after they have just won the Scudetto, Ipswich undoubtedly lack that kind of financial luxury.
Akpom, who signed on loan from Ajax, is anticipated to play in the number ten position, where Billing would be most effective, thus it is possible that he will be denied playing time.
Although Akpom is capable of playing up front, he has struggled in that position for both Ajax and Lille in recent seasons. His best position would be number ten, where he excelled for Middlesbrough and scored the majority of his 28 goals in his final season, behind Cameron Archer.
Any move for Billing is ill-considered because of the pursuit and effort to get the former Arsenal forward, who will undoubtedly be used in the position for which he is most qualified.
Clarke and Philogene are wide options for Town this season, but McKenna is also likely to occasionally lean on Ben Johnson as he did last season, with Chiedozie Ogbene having also now regained full fitness and Wes Burns set to return mid-way through the campaign.
With the departure of Liam Delap earlier this summer, leaving George Hirst and Ali Al Hamadi, who is attracting interest from other teams, Ipswich likely has room to expand their wide range of options, particularly after the sales of Nathan Broadhead and Omari Hutchinson.
The attacking midfield or ‘number ten’ role is perhaps the position in which Ipswich are most well stocked, with Szmodics suited to that position as well as town cult hero Conor Chaplin, alongside the signing of Akpom.
It would be expensive to pay for someone who doesn’t play their best role if Billing is brought in to play a deeper role. If he is brought in to play in the “ten,” that becomes a very crowded area of the Ipswich team.
Although Billing is a talented player and would seem like a coup for Ipswich on paper, there are undoubtedly better players that would fit in better with their current group who they could add for the money he could demand.
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