Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna has angrily hit out at claims suggesting Kalvin Phillips’ loan spell at Portman Road could be cut short during the January transfer window.
The Manchester City midfielder joined the Premier League newcomers on a season-long loan deal during the summer and has gone on to make seven appearances in all competitions as McKenna’s side have endured a challenging return to the top flight.
A Football Insider report released last week suggested Ipswich could consider terminating the loan deal early in the new year after becoming ‘amazed’ at Phillips lack of mobility and running power and stated senior figures at Portman Road felt the midfielder’s ‘head is still at Leeds’. However, McKenna angrily refuted the claims and stressed there ‘have been no conversations of the like’.
Speaking after Saturday’s 4-3 defeat at Brentford, McKenna was asked for a comment on the report and said: “What can I say on that? Proper, proper nonsense. I learned quite a while ago in football that you can write something online and it circulates and gets picked up by quite a lot of media outlets and then it becomes a story. It’s absolute nonsense. There have been no conversations of the like and I think it’s a real, real shame. He had a very good game.”
West Ham United consider move for Europa League hero
West Ham United are reportedly keen to secure a deal for in-form Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman.
A report from GiveMeSport has claimed the Hammers are keen to boost their attacking options during the January transfer window and have drawn up a three-man shortlist of potential targets. Despite bringing in the likes of Borussia Dortmund striker Niclas Fullkrug and Crysencio Summerville during the summer, Julen Lopetegui is believed to be considering a move for the likes of Lille star Jonathan David and Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran, with the latter strongly linked with a move to the London Stadium during the close-season.
However, it is the name of Ademola Lookman – who is thought to be valued at around £54m – that may spring a surprise as the former Everton forward continues to shine with Serie A club Atalanta.
The 23-times capped Nigeria international scored a stunning hat-trick to help his side see off Bayer Leverkusen in last season’s Europa League Final and has continued his form into the current campaign. Lookman has scored five goals and provided five assists in ten games so far and was in fine form on Saturday as he struck a brace in his side’s 6-1 hammering of Verona.
The report claims West Ham are ‘likely bidders’ for Lookman, who could be tempted into a return to the Premier League for the first time since he left Leicester City just over two years ago.
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