Newcastle ‘in advanced talks’ to sign Man City star in January; European giants provide stiff competition
Manchester City are ‘in talks’ with both Newcastle and Juventus over a January deal for midfielder Kalvin Phillips, according to reports.
The 28-year-old completed a £45m move from Leeds United in the summer of 2022 but has never been able to nail down a starting role at the Etihad.
Phillips has played just 89 minutes of Premier League football this season, with the likes of Rodri and Mateo Kovacic preferred by manager Pep Guardiola.
Guardiola actually apologised for Phillips’ lack of game time in a recent interview, saying: “I feel so sorry for my decisions for him, I said many times.”
He also refused to rule out the defensive midfielder moving elsewhere in January: “I don’t know what will happen,” he admitted.
As previously reported by Football365, a number of Premier League sides have registered an interest in signing Phillips in January and Newcastle are thought to be at the front of the queue.
Now, according to our friends at TEAMtalk, Newcastle are ‘in advanced talks’ with Man City over a deal for Phillips, but face competition from Juventus.
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The report claims that Newcastle is the ‘preferred option for the midfielder’ but he wants guaranteed playing time from his new club, which Juventus have promised to give him.
A loan with an obligation to buy is ‘what Man City are looking for,’ with the former Leeds man’s price tag set at roughly £50m.
Both sides will also ‘have to cover part of Phillips’ wages with Juve currently offering more on that front, however all offers are still changeable, and the conversation is ongoing’
Phillips is desperate to play for England in Euro 2024 and sees a move away from Man City as his best chance to do so.
Eddie Howe is keen to bolster his squad in January and a new midfielder is one of his main priorities as he looks to close the gap on the top four in the second half of the season.
This is largely due to the fact that summer signing Sandro Tonali is suspended until the start of the 2024/25 campaign after breaching the FA’s gambling rules.
Tonali’s absence has left Newcastle searching for cover and Phillips was identified by club chiefs early on as a viable option.
With that in mind, it will be interesting to see if Newcastle or Juventus win the race for Phillips’ signature in the New Year.
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