Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna feels two new signings Kalvin Phillips and Sammie Szmodics are both perfect fits for the club. 

Midfielder Phillips, 28, arrives on a season-long loan from Man City. The 31-cap England international, who started the European Championship Final in 2021, will be looking to reignite his career after a couple of frustrating years. 

Deep-lying forward Sammie Szmodics, 28, has been signed from Blackburn Rovers for a £9m fee after scoring an impressive 27 goals in the Championship last season. He's climbed the football pyramid with the likes of Colchester, Bristol City and Peterborough.

On Phillips, who had interest from Everton and Fulham this window, McKenna said: “He brings experience and quality. He’s played at the top of club football, being part of trophy-winning squads, and has major international experience, playing a big role with England.  

“Importantly for me, Kalvin has worked so hard to get where he has. He has got better and better each year. He has been through the experiences that our players are experiencing now (having got promoted to the Premier League with Leeds). Our players will be keen to learn from him and pick things off him. 

“I know he is a very good person, a humble man and a great team-mate. We will benefit from him and I think he will benefit from us. 

"He has achieved a very high level and is hungry to get back to that level again. We hope to bring him to a level past what he has got to before. 

"He is still 28 years old and a big part of coming into our culture is that you always look to improve. No matter your age or experience, we start with the basis that anyone can get better and Kalvin is sharing that mindset as well. 

"We are excited to have him and believe this is going to be a good place for him.” 

On Colchester-born Szmodics, who is set to make his Premier League debut having previously played in all three tiers of the EFL, McKenna said: “Last season was standout in terms of his goalscoring record, especially in a team that was in the bottom half of the league, but more impressive for me is the way he has continued to develop himself.  

“He is a learner, a worker. He is looking to improve all the time and he has done that season by season. He has come up from League Two and more than deserves his opportunity in the Premier League. 

“That matches and chimes with our squad. There are so many players here who have worked for years and years to get to the level they are now.  

“I think from a cultural point of view he is a fantastic fit. He has lots of family who support the club as he has grown up nearby. In all aspects we are happy for him to be here.” 

The arrival of Phillips and Szmodics takes the number of summer signings at Portman Road to eight. More are set to follow, with Swedish midfielder Jens Cajuste on the verge of completing a season-long loan switch from Napoli and Town in talks with Chelsea over the potential loan of striker Armando Broja. 

"The reality is that we would have liked to have had more by now,” admitted McKenna. 

"We feel like we are making progress though and adding two players is super.

"We have had a smaller group than we wanted in pre-season, but it was important we stuck to our principles when it came to recruitment.”