Newcastle United are hoping to agree a loan deal for Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips, according to a report from The Telegraph.
The Magpies badly need reinforcement in the January transfer window, and they have earmarked Phillips as their “top priority” target.
The England midfielder has struggled for regular game time at the Etihad Stadium, and Pep Guardiola has already made it clear that Phillips is not in his plans anymore.
Newcastle have a tight budget but they need to sign a few players as the squad is ravaged by injuries. It has reached a point where Eddie Howe is struggling to get the best out of his players, with the Magpies losing six out of their last seven games.
The Magpies hope that a loan deal can be struck swiftly once the January transfer window opens, although they have yet to lodge a bid.
The Telegraph claims that the Newcastle are yet to agree terms of a deal with either City or the player but they are willing to open discussion at the earliest. They are mainly looking at loan moves, and City are willing to listen to offers for Phillips as well.
Smart buy
Phillips will be a fantastic signing for the club. The Magpies need a solid central midfielder following the suspension of Sandro Tonali, and Phillips can be a good replacement.
He was a hero at Leeds United, and shone for England in Euro 2020. Gareth Southgate has shown enough loyalty to him, but he needs to play regular football.
The move to Manchester City has proved to be a disaster for him. It is still unclear whether Newcastle will look too buy him permanently at the end of the season, but it looks like they want to get him on a short-term deal to fix their immediate problems.
