£42m Newcastle target set to make a decision on his future soon with Magpies ready to swoop in January

Long-term Newcastle United target Kalvin Phillips has now admitted he needs to make a decision on his future sooner rather than later.

Last summer Manchester City forked out £42million to Leeds United for defensive midfielder Kalvin Phillips only for him to warm the bench for his entire tenure at the Champions.

Phillips has collected winner's medals like Super Mario collects coins - just walks past them and scoops them up with no effort, but now the England star has been warned by Gareth Southgate that he needs to be playing regularly to be involved in the Euro 2024 tournament for which England qualified last night.

I'm not sure why playing regularly is all of a sudden an issue for Southgate, it's not bothered him thus far with Phillips and Harry Maguire ever-present in the England squad despite having played next to no football for their club.

Speaking after England's 3-1 win over Italy last night, Phillips has admitted that he will need to think on his future if he wants to continue playing for England, telling reporters (via The Chronicle):

"I know that I need to be playing games and competing every weekend. I'm going to have to make a decision on [my future] over the next months.

He [Gareth Southgate] just says that for me to keep my spot I have to be playing games. That's what I want to do. I have agreed with Gareth on that."

Several outlets have been reporting that Newcastle retain an interest in Phillips with The Northern Echo saying yesterday that Eddie Howe is poised to a January move whether that be on loan or a permanent transfer.

With Sandro Tonali staring down the barrel of a lengthy ban, bringing in a new midfielder could become a high priority for Eddie Howe in January.

Howe has plenty of options in midfield, but the lack of a defensive midfielder was already an issue before Tonali's problems came to light. It was believed that Tonali could hold that role, or Sean Longstaff would sit back and allow Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes to get more forward.

With everything going on, a move for Kalvin Phillips is starting to make more sense but it will probably all come down to the finances of the deal. If Man City would be willing to let him leave on loan, at least initially, then that would suit Newcastle down to the ground.