Now that Newcastle don't have any more Premier League fixtures until the new year, Eddie Howe can start preparing his transfer strategy for the upcoming January transfer window. With this in mind, we bring the first piece of excite Newcastle transfer news today.
Newcastle transfer news: Eddie Howe "confident" he'll land Everton target in January
According to a report from Liverpool Echo, Newcastle United will not be blocked when signing Kalvin Phillips from MAnchester City. Although, a report from the Telegraph does claim the Magpies will face competition from Premier League dup Crystal Palace and Everton, while Juventus also remain interested in the English midfielder.
Kalvin Phillips has become surplus to requirements at the Etihad Stadium and if anything, it seems like a chore for Pep Guardiola to give the player minutes at the moment. With this in mind, it doesn't look positive for Kalvin Phillips' chances of getting a place in the EURO 2024 squad if he stays at Manchester City.
From Newcastle's perspective, they need to sign a new midfielder as they are lacking in this position due to injuries and the obvious Sandro Tonalo suspension. Kalvin Phillips is a Premier League experienced player who could come in and make an impact straight away.
The only issue is Phillips will want guaranteed game time. While we can certainly offer this at the moment, how can we keep our promise when players return from injuries and suspensions? Phillips is a great player and I can see why we're targeting him, but he wouldn't be at the top of the midfield hierarchy for Eddie Howe, that's for sure.
If game time is the most important factor for Phillips, then he's better off at Juve or two of the other Premier League clubs. I do hope we can convince him otherwise, though.
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What do you make of today's Newcastle transfer news?