Ipswich Town have agreed to sign Hull City centre-back Jacob Greaves, marking a huge transfer breakthrough.
According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, the 23-year-old Tigers star is poised to have a physical with the Suffolk club before finalising a contract to join the Premier League.
The Tractor Boys have been in talks for a double deal featuring Greaves’ mercurial teammate Jaden Philogene, which would be for £35 million plus add-ons, but negotiations for the winger have yet to be completed, though an agreement is expected soon.
Crystal Palace is very interested in Philogene, and they might theoretically outbid the Premier League newcomers, but as talks continue, Greaves is the most likely to move to Portman Road.
Ipswich Town poised to complete Jacob Greaves deal with Hull City
Greaves has been a Premier League player in waiting for quite some time, having progressed through the Tigers’ academy systems since he was a toddler.
The towering presence’s first season in senior football was in 2019-20 with then League Two side Cheltenham Town, where he appeared 35 times before the season was cut short due to COVID-19, giving him the opportunity to return to East Yorkshire and play a key role in Hull’s League One promotion-winning campaign.
Greaves has appeared 143 times in the second tier of English football over the last three seasons with the Tigers, and 2023-24 was a watershed moment for him, as he not only won the club’s Player of the Year award, but was also named to the Championship Team of the Season, a testament to his outstanding performances.
While Liam Rosenior failed to lead Hull to the play-offs and then promotion, Greaves will return to the top flight, with Ipswich expected to win the battle for his services.
Kieran McKenna primarily used a partnership of Luke Woolfenden and Cameron Burgess for his Ipswich team last season, but he is ready to invest heavily in Greaves’ services.
Jaden Philogene talks continue between Hull City and Ipswich Town
Of course, Greaves isn’t the only player Ipswich wants; Jaden Philogene is also in talks about a move to Portman Road.
However, Ornstein writes that, while the deal is still expected to be completed as a double transfer, Town has yet to finalise the tricky attacker’s departure, with negotiations ongoing.
Crystal Palace are also thought to be interested in the 22-year-old former Aston Villa player, but with money to play with following Michael Olise’s move to Bayern Munich, Oliver Glasner’s side might put a wrench in the works.
