Newcastle United are interested in signing Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips this summer, says transfer insider Dean Jones.
The England international has caught the attention of a host of clubs, and Jones believes he is the kind of signing that could help take Eddie Howe's side to the next level.
What is the latest news involving Phillips?
According to The Athletic, Manchester United are exploring the possibility of signing Phillips from their rivals in the upcoming transfer window.
It comes after the Daily Mail reported that the 26-year-old is actually not against remaining at Elland Road despite all of the interest that is currently being shown in him.
In terms of how much Phillips could cost if he were to leave Leeds this summer, The Telegraph claims that Aston Villa are lining up a £60m bid for the Whites star, so that is the price teams could be looking at.
Phillips still has just over two years left on his contract, so Leeds will not be panicking just yet, but the fact that he has not signed a new deal yet will be a concern.
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What has Jones said about Phillips and Newcastle?
Jones has told GIVEMESPORT that Newcastle are also interested in signing Phillips and thinks he would be a great addition to Howe's squad.
Speaking to GMS, the football journalist said: "They're very aware of the fact that the players have to fit into that team. Something somebody said to me earlier on was that they are interested in Kalvin Phillips.
"Can you imagine Kalvin Phillips also now going into that Newcastle midfield and taking them to another level?"
Can Phillips help Newcastle to reach the next level?
Yes. The Magpies have already started to build a very good midfield by bringing in Bruno Guimaraes, who has been getting himself on the scoresheet, from Lyon. Adding Phillips to the mix can only improve the team, with Darren Bent hailing him last year for thriving in a "unique" role at Leeds.
While Phillips has missed a lot of this season because of injury, he was excellent in the last campaign when fully fit, winning plenty of praise from those in and around the game.
"If you are coming up against Leeds United, who are brilliant as a team, not just Kalvin Phillips, he has got to be a major part of your team talk, exactly the way Paul Scholes was for Manchester United," Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher said on Sky Sports (via Leeds Live) last term.
Alongside Guimaraes, Phillips could form part of a Newcastle midfield that is ready to compete for those European places.