Newcastle United are ‘confident’ that they can beat Everton to the signature of a highly-rated transfer target

Newcastle United are ‘confident’ that they can beat Everton to the signature of a highly-rated midfield target, according to reports.

The Toffees are believed to be huge admirers of out-of-favour Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips who is expected to make a move in January, according to reports from Fabrizio Romano.

Everton currently have the likes of Abdoulaye Doucoure, Idrissa Gueye, Andre Gomes and Amadou Onana at their disposal in the middle of the park. But it is thought that Sean Dyche was keen to add Phillips to the ranks to bolster the team’s squad depth as they battle relegation.

Phillips made a name for himself when he emerged from the Leeds United academy in 2014. The Yorkshire born midfielder was a stalwart for the Championship outfit for several years, but was transformed into one of the league’s top performing stars after the appointment of Marcelo Bielsa.

The 28-year-old was a catalyst for Leeds’ promotion in the 2019/20 campaign and he remained a regular in the top-flight as the team beat the drop for the next two seasons. This incredible form earned him recognition at international level and he became a regular during the European Championships in 2021. Phillips’ form in the tournament helped England go all the way to the final of a Euros for the first ever time and the Yorkshire born midfielder won the award for being England’s Player of the Year in 2021.

Phillips has been at Manchester City for 18 months but has barely played for Pep Guardiola’s team since his £42m move. Overall he has been involved in just 16 league games - with nearly all of those coming from the subs bench. This season in particular has been a struggle and he has been limited to just 89 minutes in total - reducing his chances of making Gareth Southgate’s final team for Euro 2024.

Newcastle United are the frontrunners to sign Phillips , according to The Telegraph. The outlet adds that Eddie Howe’s men are ‘confident’ of getting the deal done on an initial loan deal. Everton could still make a move for the player, while Crystal Palace and Juventus are also thought to be interested in Phillips’ services.