Irish League deal done as Levi Ives signs Coleraine contract to join from champions Larne
Coleraine’s summer assault on the established Irish League top guns will continue with the capture of Levi Ives from defending champions Larne.
Sources have told the News Letter that 27-year-old Ives, following a formal club request to open talks, will make the switch from Larne to the Bannsiders – with a pre-contract agreement now signed by the defender.
Ives’ decision to leave a Larne side with back-to-back Sports Direct Premiership crowns in the Inver Park cabinet for ambitious Coleraine marks another significant shift in the Irish League landscape.
It is understood Joel Cooper recently put pen to paper on pre-contract terms to leave Linfield, the current league leaders and title favourites, for Coleraine at the end of the season.
The 28-year-old is considered one of the top talents in the current domestic scene and can boast a trophy track record across three spells with Linfield that includes three league titles and three senior cup honours.
Ives recently helped Larne end the landmark UEFA Conference League run with victory over Belgium’s Gent - a first-ever win by a club from Northern Ireland at that stage of European football.
The former Northern Ireland youth international joined Larne from Cliftonville in June 2023 for an undisclosed fee but is now expected to enjoy another close-season move as part of Coleraine's attack on the status quo.
The confirmation last month of 24-year-old property developer Henry Ross as Coleraine’s majority owner was celebrated as another step forward following an initial takeover in February by Patrick Mitchell and Ranald McGregor-Smith.
The signings of Cooper and Ives – as part of what must now be anticipated as a summer of high-profile business in reshaping the squad of head coach Dean Shiels – would stand in line with the vision and ambition Ross highlighted following the announcement of his role.
Ross told the official Coleraine website in December: "While staying true to our values, my ambition is to establish Coleraine FC as the leading club in the Irish League and a pioneer in both on-pitch performance and community engagement.”