Ipswich Town suffered their first defeat of the Premier League season against Manchester United on Sunday as they were beaten 5-2 by Michael Carrick's men.

Whilst there were elements to like about the way the team played, as they took the lead through Leaf Davis, the performance of Emersonn in the number nine role is a cause for concern.

The Brazilian centre-forward lost three of his four ground duels and all five of his aerial battles before being substituted at half-time by Gary O'Neil.

His underwhelming display against the Red Devils came after he scored his first Premier League goal by rolling the ball into an empty net against Sunderland on the opening day.

Why Ipswich need an upgrade on Emersonn

Despite paying £24m to sign the 22-year-old attacker, who scored on his debut, the Tractor Boys need to find an upgrade on him in the centre-forward position before the end of the transfer window.

He has lost 70% of his aerial duels across the first two matches of the campaign and it remains to be seen if he has the physicality to cope with playing as a lone number nine against Premier League centre-backs.

His form for Toulouse in Ligue 1 in the 2025/26 season also suggests that he may not offer a regular threat as a goalscorer for Ipswich, due to his struggles in front of goal.

Emersonn underperformed against his xG in the French top-flight, missing more 'big chances' than he managed goals scored, and is yet to prove that he can improve upon that tally of six goals.

In their quest to avoid relegation, Ipswich will need more consistency and physicality from their starting centre-forward, which is why they need an upgrade on the £24m-rated man.

How Ipswich can land an instant upgrade on Emersonn

Now, with just over 24 hours left until the deadline, the club are eyeing up a player who would arrive at Portman Road as a better option than Emersonn.

According to Football Insider, Ipswich Town have submitted a formal offer to Burnley in an attempt to secure a late deal for centre-forward Zian Flemming before the end of the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Tractor Boys are set to battle it out with Ligue 1 side Lille to secure the Dutchman's signature before Tuesday night's deadline.

It adds that the ex-Millwall marksman is expected to leave the Clarets before the window closes because he wants to return to a top European league, which means that a move to Portman Road could be appealing to him.

The 28-year-old forward, who has been touted at a fee of £17m this summer, would be a fantastic signing for O'Neil because he would arrive as a player who has already proven himself in the Premier League.

Flemming delivered goals in a dismal Burnley team in the top-flight last season. He showed off his goalscoring qualities in spite of their relegation from the division, and would join as an upgrade on Emersonn.

Despite having similar xG totals, the Dutchman scored five more goals than the Toulouse centre-forward at league level in the 2025/26 campaign, suggesting that he would offer far more to the team as a goalscorer.

Flemming has proven that he can score goals regularly and efficiently in the Premier League, even in a team that is battling against the drop, which is why he would be a perfect fit at Portman Road.

Ipswich need proven Premier League players who can perform consistently to ensure that they do not get relegated straight back down to the Championship again, and Flemming fits the bill.

Emersonn is more of an up-and-coming player with potential, as he is only 22, and he has yet to prove that he can provide consistent quality or physicality in the English top-flight.

That is why the club should be pushing to get this deal over the line before Tuesday's deadline to ensure that O'Neil has a reliable and physical number nine to call upon week-in-week-out this season.