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Sources: Newcastle United race Juventus to sign 'number one priority' Kalvin Phillips
Newcastle United will face strong competition from Serie A giants Juventus in the race for Man City midfielder Kalvin Phillips in January, sources have told Football Insider.
City are willing to let the England international, 27, leave in the upcoming winter window after he plummeted down Pep Guardiola’s pecking order.
A well-placed source has told Football Insider that Newcastle have made the capture of a defensive midfielder the “number one priority” – and Phillips is believed to be a top target.
However, a deal is a long way off and the Magpies are believed to be wary of Juventus, who have a strong interest in the player and are readying a move.
Eddie Howe’s side are desperate for midfield reinforcements in the wake of Sandro Tonali’s 10-month ban for betting rule breaches.
The Magpies are also in the midst of an injury crisis which has ruled the likes of Callum Wilson, Alexander Isak, Harvey Barnes, Javier Manquillo, Matt Targett, Sven Botman, Elliot Anderson, Jacob Murphy and Dan Burn out.
Phillips has played just 215 minutes of action across all competitions this season.
It is believed he has failed to gain the full trust of Pep Guardiola since arriving at the Etihad Stadium last summer for a reported fee of £45million.
The midfielder, who is under contract until June 2028, has made just five starts since joining City.
Phillips is still a regular in Gareth Southgate’s England squad but has admitted he will need to consider a move to maintain his place in the international set-up.
Injury-plagued Newcastle, who sit bottom of their Champions League group, are next in action against Chelsea on Saturday (25 November).
Juventus sit second in Serie A and are not involved in European competition this season.
In other news, Newcastle and in race to sign Ligue 1 sensation.