(Credit: Hasan Karim - Breaking Media, Imago)

Oliver Walton

Fri 15 August 2025 18:20, UK

Ipswich Town are eyeing up loan moves for Bournemouth duo Lewis Cook and Philip Billing as they aim to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking this season.

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Ipswich endured a tough time in the Premier League last term, and they have started slowly on their return to the Championship this season after a 1-1 draw to newly-promoted Birmingham City on the opening day.

Kieran McKenna’s side have made some key additions this summer, with the likes of Jens Cajuste and Azor Matusiwa signed from Napoli and Rennes respectively, but Ipswich are set to lose Omari Hutchinson soon as he closes in on a move to Nottingham Forest.

Credit: Hasan Karim, Breaking Media

Bournemouth had a stellar season in the top-flight last time out as Andoni Iraola led his side to a ninth-placed finish, but their defence has been picked apart this summer with Dean Huijsen joining Real Madrid and Milos Kerkez, Ilia Zabarnyi moving to Liverpool and PSG respectively.

The Basque boss does not have much to work across the pitch with right now, despite the new season being so close, but he could soon allow two of his players to leave to join the Tractor Boys in the second-tier.

Cook featured 36 times in the Premier League for the Cherries last term, while Billing struggled for game-time in the first-half of the season and so joined Napoli on loan in January and helped them to a Serie A title triumph with one goal in 10 league appearances.

Both players could face uncertain futures at the club as Bournemouth aim to push on even further this season and qualify for Europe, and the Daily Mail (15 August) have reported that Ipswich have shortlisted both Cook and Billing as potential loan signings to aid their Championship promotion push.

PlayerAppearancesGoalsAssistsLewis Cook258314Philip Billing2013020Cook and Billing’s Bournemouth career stats

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Their report also states that Iraola may need Billing and Cook to “see him through the final weeks of August” before considering letting them go at the end of the window, and so a move for either player does not seem imminent as it stands.

Cook suffered a ligament injury last month in a pre-season friendly against Bristol City, with the Cherries confirming at that time that he is set to miss the start of the new Premier League season, and it remains unclear when he will be fully fit once again.

Football Insider verdict

Bournemouth’s summer has not been a successful one up to now, with a number of their key men out of the door and few incomings to replace them as yet.

Iraola’s side look to have accelerated their transfer business in recent weeks, with the signing of Bafode Diakite recently confirmed and Liverpool winger Ben Doak soon set to join the Cherries, but they remain a few players short in a number of key areas.

The likes of Diakite and Marcos Senesi will be relied on to play centre-back after Huijsen and Zabarnyi’s departures, but Billing in particular could be line to start for the Cherries in midfield over the next few weeks next to Tyler Adams due to Cook and Ryan Christie’s injury issues.

Cook also looks set to play a major part in the side when he is back from being sidelined, especially with no new midfielders through the door at the Vitality Stadium as yet, so whether Ipswich can strike a deal for either seems unlikely, but not impossible as the window goes on.

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