Kalvin Phillips has agreed to join Ipswich Town on loan from Manchester City

Ipswich Town have won the race to sign former Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips on loan from reigning Premier League champions Manchester City. Everton and Fulham were also interested in the 28-year-old England international, who has fallen out of favour at City, but he has opted to join the Premier League new boys.

The Tractor Boys, who were last season’s Championship runner-ups, are believed to have reached an agreement in principle for Phillips, with a medical pencilled in for Thursday. Timing is tight for Ipswich as they need to complete their registration process promptly to ensure that Phillips can play against Liverpool in their forthcoming 12:30pm clash on Saturday.

Despite his high-profile £42million transfer to Manchester City in 2022 from the Whites, Phillips has not been able to make a significant impact under manager Pep Guardiola. His loan spell at West Ham also was less than fruitful, with minimal starts and disciplinary issues.

Elsewhere, United’s Championship rivals Sheffield United have bolstered their squad with the acquisition of Michael Cooper. The 24-year-old has arrived from Plymouth Argyle for an undisclosed fee. Cooper has expressed his delight over completing the switch to South Yorkshire, saying: “It feels brilliant that we’ve got the move over the line and I’m excited to get started.”

“The manager couldn’t speak highly enough of the club, the fan base, the ambition, the squad it was all very attractive for me to make a decision to come here.”

“This is a huge opportunity in front of me. I have had a lot of great memories at Argyle, but when an opportunity like Sheffield United presents itself, it is almost impossible to say no.”