Newcastle United are set to make a summer move for Leeds United midfielder Calvin Phillips, rivaling Aston Villa in the race for his signature.
According to a new report from the Daily Mail, which claims Newcastle are looking to lure Phillips to St James's Park this summer.
The report added that both Liverpool and Manchester United also prefer Phillips, but currently have other priorities in mind for this summer.
This leaves the door for Newcastle and Villa to position themselves in the race for Phillips, although whether Leeds will actually sell Phillips remains to be seen.
Newcastle are unbeaten in nine matches, winning six of them by one run and should now remain in the Premier League.
With relegation fears now looming, Newcastle could start looking at a summer transfer window.
Newcastle will likely splurge cash this summer in an effort to bolster Eddie Howe's squad, with the Phillies now a prime target.
Aston Villa is back for the Phillips, who previously attempted to sign him in the summer of 2019.
Dean Smith is gone and Steven Gerrard is in, but that doesn't mean Villa's interest has waned.
Gerrard will be a major selling point for any midfielder, but Newcastle's project - and the assets that come with it - should be lucrative.
Don't think for a moment that Leeds will simply give up on their star man this summer.
Philips leads is thru and thru. He is a hero on the rooftops and arguably the biggest success story of the Marcelo Bilsa era.
A major problem for Leeds this season has been the absence of Phillips.
Due to a hamstring problem since early December, Phillips has been badly missed by the Leeds side.
Phillips has his instigator in the midfield and safety for the last four, with no one from Leeds being able to replicate that, which highlights his importance.
If the leads go down, it could be difficult to catch Phillips. He is too good for the championship and will likely need Premier League football to retain his place in England.