Journalist Graeme Bailey has claimed that Newcastle United have an interest in Kalvin Phillips.
The midfielder is one game away from completing his debut season with Manchester City since arriving last summer from Leeds United in a deal worth a reported fee of £45m.
Having won his first Premier League title and FA Cup with the Citizens, some details have emerged regarding the outside interest the Englishman has gathered.
Newcastle like Phillips
Speaking on the Fully Loaded Transfer Show, Bailey had this to say on the subject of potential midfield targets on Newcastle’s radar this summer.
He said: “It depends [on] what they get over the line first. There’s Romeo Lavia at Southampton as well. I think they want more experience in that role personally at Newcastle from what I’m hearing, the Scott McTominays of the world, the [James] Ward-Prowses.
“We know Kalvin Phillips is someone they’ve always liked but it may be hard to get him out of Manchester City as it stands.”
Despite getting his hands on the league title and FA Cup, as well as having the chance to lift the Champions League trophy this weekend, the 27-year-old has not been particularly prominent in Pep Guardiola’s side this season.
Specifically, with just 21 appearances to his name across all competitions, Phillips has only started four of them, three of which saw him complete the full 90 minutes.
Regardless of that, the England international has already said that he wants to stay at City and fight for a regular place in the team moving forward.
This could be why Bailey said Newcastle may find it hard to sign the midfielder if that’s what they end up trying to do over the summer.
With that in mind, it would probably be better off for Eddie Howe’s side to forget about potentially launching a move for the City midfielder and instead focus on signing another one of their apparent midfield targets.
