Portsmouth new boy makes 'cold' Middlesbrough claim as Ipswich Town submit £30m bid for Hull City duo

Sammy Silvera has reflected on a ‘hard’ first season in English football after he left Middlesbrough to join new Championship rivals Portsmouth on a season-long loan.

The once-capped Australia international joined Boro in a cut-price move from A-League club Central Coast Mariners last summer and there were high hopes he could become an astute signing by making a big impact at the Riverside Stadium. Despite scoring six goals and providing three assists in 42 appearances in all competitions, there was a feeling Silvera had not realised his full potential during the first year on Teesside.

The return of injured duo Riley McGree and Marcus Forss and the signing of Mainz star Delano Burgzorg have threatened Silvera’s place in Michael Carrick’s side for the upcoming season and the 23-year-old has now been allowed to spend the campaign as part of a Pompey squad looking to re-establish themselves in the second tier after claiming the League One title last season.

Reflecting on his year with Boro, he said: He told the Pompey website: ”Cold. That's all I can say, it's been cold. No it's been hard, I'll say.  Away from football getting used to a different area. And on the pitch, it's the demand of playing 46 games and that's without cup games.  That's a difference because in the A-league you play 26 games, but it's been good, I've been able to play a decent amount of game-time. Hopefully I can continue on and get more consistency and improve.  It's a lot harder moving from the other side of the world.  My mum lives in London so that helps. It's a lot closer here. I'm just looking forward to it.”

Premier League newcomers make big Hull City bid

Ipswich Town’s preparations for their long-awaited return to the Premier League are starting to gather pace as Kieran McKenna has reportedly launched a £30m bid for two Championship stars.

Just under a year has passed since the Tractor Boys marked their return to the Championship with a win at Sunderland on the opening day of last season and they are now looking forward to life in the top tier after securing consecutive promotions. McKenna’s summer transfer business has got off to an impressive start after the Town boss landed West Ham United defender Ben Johnson on a free transfer before securing Chelsea youngster Omari Hutchinson in a £17m deal after the winger spent last season on loan at Portman Road.

Football Insider have now claimed Ipswich are ready to continue their summer rebuild with a £30m double deal for Hull City duo Jacob Greaves and Jaden Philogene. Both players impressed as the Tigers missed out on a place in the Championship play-offs last season and have previously been linked with moves to the Premier League. There was also speculation suggesting former Aston Villa winger Philogene was the subject of an unlikely loan bid from La Liga giants Barcelona. It is not yet known how Hull will respond to the reported offer as they look to build their own squad in a bid to force their way into the promotion mix when the new season gets underway next month.