Newcastle United are involved in a three-way battle for the services of Matt Phillips this summer, according to reports from Daily Mail. The West Bromwich Albion attacker faces an uncertain future at the club following their relegation to the Championship last season with Cardiff, Middlesbrough and Newcastle chasing after his signature.
It is understood that newly promoted Cardiff are highly interested in the Scot this summer as head coach Neil Warnock looks to build a side that is capable of staying up in the top flight. While Boro manager Tony Pulis is eager to reunite with Phillips ahead of the start of the new season, having worked with him during their time together at West Brom.
Finally, it’s Newcastle United, who have also shown interest in the 27-year-old winger. Following a satisfying season, Rafa Benitez is keen to sustain Newcastle’s form in the forthcoming campaign and as a result of that, the Spaniard is looking to address many of his side’s weaknesses from this past season by going big in the ongoing transfer window.
Attack, in particular, has been identified as a particular weak point for the Magpies despite a promising campaign. The Tyneside outfit has failed to lay their dominance in the opposition defence for a chunk of last season, largely due to their lack of potency in the final third.
Former Bournemouth star Matt Ritchie emerged as the only consistent performer, especially in the second half of the last campaign. But aside from that, the likes of Ayoze Perez, Dwight Gayle and Jacob Murphy have all failed to sustain their form, which is definitely a cause for concern for head coach Benitez.
Even though the addition of Norwich sensation James Maddison will be a huge boost for the club, the lack of options in the wider positions could haunt the Magpies next season. Thus, Matt Phillips is indeed a viable target for Newcastle this summer.
The 27-year-old is armed with an ample amount of experience in English football, having made almost 250 appearances across the first and second division. He was also a regular with WBA last season though he did actually fail to save the Baggies from getting relegated at the end.
As for Newcastle, Phillips can be deployed in the wider position alongside the likes of Matt Ritchie and Kenedy while new signing James Maddison will operate as the number ten. Maddison’s creativity in central areas of the pitch coupled with Phillips’ and Ritchie’s dynamism in the wider positions could make Newcastle a formidable attacking side next season.
