Wimbledon Target Man Ali Al-Hamadi has been linked with a move to Championship promotion hopefuls Leeds, according to the South London Press.
Ali-Hamadi, 21, has been a star in an unspectacular Wombles side since signing in January, from Wycombe Wanderers, making 33 League Two appearances and scoring 14 goals. This season, he has turned creator, recording 5 assists, making him the joint-3rd highest in the League, alongside the 4 goals he has netted for the club.
He has been touted as a key part of the team by manager Johnnie Jackson, especially when Al-Hamadi was rumoured to be subject to a bid by League One side, Barnsley. When responding to the rumour, Jackson said:
“He’s a big part of what we’re doing here. He’s a massive part of our future and our season.”.
In terms of the transfer, the South London side are said to be looking for a club record fee meaning it would exceed the £1.2 million which was paid after young talent Ayoub Assal moved to Qatari Stars League team Al-Wakrah in January of this year. As well as this, Al-Hamadi’s previous outfit, Wycombe, are said to have a significant sell-on clause meaning they would receive a cut of the fee which Wimbledon receive.
This is not the first time the Iraqi youngster has been subject to interest, with Sunderland, Peterborough and the aforementioned Barnsley, all interested in his signature. With the January transfer window fast approaching, there are sure to be a myriad of teams who will be interested in securing his services, despite his availability being limited due to his likely appearance for the Iraqi national team at the Asia Cup, which begins on the 12th of January.
Ali-Hamadi has had a tumultuous journey to being one of the hottest prospects of the Football League, beginning his career in Liverpool, after fleeing Iraq at the age of 1, before jumping between the Derby, Tranmere and Swansea academies before being picked up by the Chairboys on a free transfer in November 2021.
Writer’s View:
This could potentially be a lucrative deal for the Wombles, however, Ali-Hamadi has proved to be a constant threat in his 10 months with the club. His departure would leave a slight hole in the goalscoring department, with the likes of Josh Davison not reaching the levels of goal-scoring that he achieved last year, and Omar Bugiel more known for his hold-up play rather than his goal-scoring exploits. However, the potency of James Tilley, who has netted 8 times this campaign, and Josh Neufville could prove enough for the South London side.
In terms of Leeds, they have a contrasting problem with perhaps an overload of forwards if Al-Hamadi were to sign, with the likes of new signing Joel Piroe, combined with Patrick Bamford, Georginio Rutter, Willy Gnonto and Joe Gelhardt meaning that there is a possibility that Al-Hamadi would struggle to get a look in.
This would likely be a development move for the Yorkshire side, and that might not be what Al-Hamadi needs. A transfer which provides regular game time at a higher level, advancing his career, rather than one which ends in a loan move, may prove more beneficial for him going forward, something which is sure to be an option with the rumoured interests from League One clubs over the last few months.