Kalvin Phillips is reportedly leaning towards a January transfer to Newcastle United, despite previous links with Liverpool. According to CalcioMercato, the Manchester City midfielder, highly praised by Gareth Southgate, is optimistic about joining St. James Park, even though Liverpool and Juventus have shown interest. While Liverpool has been linked with Phillips for some time, recent developments suggest that the competition for his signature is narrowing down to Newcastle and Juventus, with the Magpies gaining an edge.
Although losing Phillips to another Premier League rival like Newcastle wouldn’t be catastrophic for Liverpool, it’s not an ideal scenario. Ideally, Liverpool would have preferred to see Phillips move abroad if he didn’t choose Liverpool, and the prospect of Eddie Howe acquiring the England star is less than ideal. Despite Phillips not seeing much playing time with City in the past year, the 27-year-old remains a valuable asset, making his potential move to Newcastle a setback for Liverpool.
As a former Leeds United standout, Phillips is recognized as one of the Premier League’s top defensive midfielders. Under the management of Eddie Howe, there is potential for Phillips to elevate his game further. Consequently, if Newcastle secures Phillips, they could pose a challenge to Liverpool’s top-four ambitions.