Luke Edwards believes Kalvin Phillips will end the month a Newcastle United player, discussing our hopes of landing the Man City midfielder and a couple of fringe players who could be moved on to free up funds.
He claims that Isaac Hayden – currently on loan at Standard Liege – is likely to sign for Sheffield United and reports that a few squad players may be moved on this month to make room for Phillips’ arrival, mentioning Matt Ritchie and Paul Dummett as two others who could depart.
Edwards adds that Juventus ‘dropping out’ the race has ‘dramatically increased’ our hopes of landing the 28-year-old, with Everton and Crystal Palace unlikely to compete with Newcastle for his signature. That said, it’s thought a loan is more likely to go through ‘later in the window’, as a few outgoings could create room – in the squad and on the wage bill – for Phillips’ arrival.
As for Hayden, a move to Bramall Lane would hand the tough-tackling midfielder a surprise return to the Premier League, providing his stint in Belgium can be cut short.
Speaking on the BBC’s Transfer Gossip Daily podcast on Monday, Edwards had this to say on ins and outs at Newcastle:
“I still think Phillips will end up at Newcastle. I think Juventus dropping out dramatically increases their chances. If you look at the options – Everton, Crystal Palace, Newcastle, Juventus – Juventus would be the one that would most rival Newcastle for that.
“But I just wonder whether Newcastle are going to have to ship somebody out first. They’d be looking to get rid of squad players. The likes of Paul Dummett, Matt Ritchie, players like Isaac Hayden who’s been out on loan at Standard Liege – I think he’s going to sign for Sheffield United.
“Getting those players off the wage bill perhaps makes that little bit of room to bring him in and pay Kalvin Phillips his wages. There’s stuff there that needs to be done from a Newcastle perspective, which is why I think I keep being told they want him, they like him, they hope it can happen but it’s likely to happen later in the window rather than at the start of it.”
