Eddie Howe pulls plug on Newcastle deal for Kalvin Phillips as report reveals change of heart
Eddie Howe has reportedly decided he no longer wants to sign Kalvin Phillips for Newcastle as the midfielder has been deemed ‘not right’ for his side after negotiations.
This window has looked for a while like the one in which Phillips would find himself a new club. A year and a half at Manchester City has not gone well, with the midfielder getting just 379 Premier League minutes so far.
He was a very useful asset at Leeds, and has continued to be picked for England, so has not found himself short of suitors, with a number of European sides adding to the Premier League clubs keen on him, such as Newcastle, West Ham and Crystal Palace.
The Newcastle route seemed perfect, amid a bit of a crisis in midfield at the club, kicked off by a ban for marquee midfield signing Sandro Tonali.
But a roadblock in terms of a loan fee has looked to scupper that move. Indeed, it’s widely reported that Man City are looking to gain £7million just from loaning Phillips out, ahead of the obligation for the Magpies to buy him at the end of that spell.
City can demand a large fee due to the fact Phillips has a contract running until 2028.
While it might seem those demands would be what would put Newcastle off after weeks of negotiations, it’s reported Howe has come to the decision not to sign the midfielder for another reason.
According to Football Insider, the manager has been ‘instrumental’ in the decision to pull the plug on a move for Phillips because he is ‘not the right type of player’.
Given Tonali, who the club are doing their best to replace, is a defensive-midfield player, and Phillips occupies the same role, with experience in the Premier League, it does seem somewhat strange that they’ve suddenly decided he’s not the right man.
If he was just to join on loan, they’d perhaps be content with him not perfectly fitting into the squad, but given there’s a good chance they’d be forced to sign him after, they might be right to swerve him.
It appears from the outside looking in that he would be a fit for Newcastle, but Howe surely knows who the right players are for his side.
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