Newcastle United ‘poised’ for early move for £42m star as Bayern Munich ‘holds talks’

Newcastle United are reportedly ‘poised’ to make a move for Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips - but will face competition from Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.

The England star made a rare start on Tuesday night when he featured in the Three Lions’ 3-1 win against Italy that ensured Gareth Southgate’s side qualified for next summer’s Euro 2024 Finals.

Although Phillips has enjoyed success and game-time with England, the same can not be said of life at club level as the former Leeds United star has made just five appearances in all competitions so far this season, with just one coming as part of Pep Guardiola’s starting eleven.

That came in a 1-0 Carabao Cup defeat at Newcastle last month - and the former Barcelona manager directly referenced Phillips and his inability to make a real impact with the treble winners after making a big money move to the Etihad Stadium just 12 months earlier.

Guardiola said: “Marcelo (Bielsa) gave Kalvin the best of Kalvin in his career. I’d love to have done with Kalvin what Marcelo has done to him. We have our own specific way to play and (he) sometimes struggles in a few things, while the previous (Leeds playing style) was perfect.”

The Northern Echo have now claimed Newcastle are ‘ready to make a quick move’ for Phillips during the January transfer window as Eddie Howe looks to add a more defensive-minded midfielder to his squad.

Should Guardiola be open to an agreement, the report stats the Magpies will aim to secure Phillips on either a permanent deal or ‘an initial loan deal, with a view to a possible permanent move next summer.’

The likes of Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur are also believed to be monitoring Phillips’ situation at City - but German champions Bayern Munich are also considering a move for the midfielder, according to 90Min.

They have claimed Bayern view Phillips as an ‘alternative’ to Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha, who narrowly missed out on a move to the Allianz Arena during the final hours of the summer transfer window.

The Cottagers star remains Bayern’s key midfield target - but Phillips has already been the subject of contact from the German club as they look for alternative options.