Ipswich Town eye up move for Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips with Everton and Fulham as Ben Knight leaves Citizens for Real Murcia

Ipswich Town are reported to be among three Premier League clubs eyeing up a move for Manchester City’s frustrated England midfielder Kalvin Phillips, while their former academy star has left the Citizens for Spain.

Phillips, 28, has been left kicking his heels for much of the time since a completing a reputed £45 million transfer from Leeds United in the summer of 2022. Having been hampered by injury in his first campaign, he has gone on to make just two league starts and 14 sub appearances for the Premier League champions.

The defensive midfielder, who has 31 caps for his country though was not called up to Gareth Southgate’s squad for the recent European Championships, spent the second half of last season on loan at West Ham United where he played in eight league games, starting just three. He also made two UEFA Europa League appearances, but both in late cameos across the Hammers’ last 16 tie with FC Freiburg.

According to the Manchester Evening News, Everton and Fulham are also showing interest in bringing in Phillips ahead of the transfer window closing this month. SuffolkNews’ media partners TWTD ‘understand there is something in the reported Town interest’ while the EADT have also backed it up.

A move for Phillips could come as either a permanent transfer or as a loan deal, with West Ham reported to have paid a £7m loan fee in January as well as covering the player’s wages in full, believed to be in excess of £100,000-per-week.

Town are currently searching for an extra quality option in the middle of the park with Sam Morsy and Massimo Luongo, who helped pull off back-to-back promotions alongside each other, set to start Saturday’s Premier League opener against Liverpool (12.30pm).

Jack Taylor, who has impressed in pre-season, but in a more advanced role, is currently the other option for one of Kieran McKenna’s double pivot positions, while youngster Cameron Humphreys has been out injured.

Of the Blues' current six summer signings, none cover the midfield department.

Knight heads to Spain

Meanwhile, a former Town academy youngster, Reach-raised Ben Knight, has left Manchester City to sign for Spanish third-tier club Real Murcia.

The 22-year-old creative midfielder who started out with Burwell Tigers, left Town’s academy to join City in 2018 aged 16 in a reported £1m deal.

After shining in the Citizens’ under-18s across their league and FA Youth Cup sides, he went on to make his senior debut for the Premier League champions on their tour of the Far East in July 2019.

The former Bottisham Village College pupil made his competitive bow in Guardiola’s side by coming off the bench in the 2021/22 Community Shield defeat to Leicester City at Wembley.

He went on to make one senior appearance for City, which proved to be his last, coming off the bench in the Community Shield at Wembley,

Knight also had spells out on loan at Crewe Alexandra (10 appearances, two goals) and Stockport County (no appearances).