Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips would prefer a move to Newcastle United rather than Juventus.
Phillips has struggled to establish himself in Pep Guardiola's side since arriving from Leeds United in the summer of 2022.
During his first season with the club, the Englishman was restricted to just four starts in 21 competitive appearances.
Despite being linked with a move away, Phillips ultimately remained with the Citizens in the hope that he would receive more minutes.
However, the 27-year-old has continued to find playing time hard to come by, having made one start and seven appearances as a substitute.
© Reuters
With the likes of Rodri, Mateo Kovacic, Matheus Nunes, Bernardo Silva and Rico Lewis all above Phillips in the pecking order, he is now set to leave the club in January as he looks to secure regular game time.
A number of clubs have shown an interest in the England international, including Premier League side Newcastle and Italian giants Juventus.
According to Calcio Mercato, the Magpies are leading Juventus in the race to sign Phillips in the winter transfer window.
The report claims that the player is favouring a move to Newcastle, who are looking for a midfielder to fill the void left by Sandro Tonali.
© Reuters
The Italy international will miss the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign after being hit with a 10-month ban for betting on football matches.
Juventus are also keen to recruit a new midfielder after Nicolo Fagioli was caught up in the same betting scandal as Tonali, while Paul Pogba is being investigated for a doping violation.
While Phillips would prefer to complete a switch to the Magpies, it remains to be seen whether Man City would sanction a deal.
A recent report claimed that the European champions are reluctant to allow the midfielder to join another Premier League club.
In addition to Newcastle and Juventus, Phillips has also been linked with the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, Everton and West Ham United.
