The Magpies’ recruitment team has identified Phillips as their preferred option for a new central midfielder in January, and while formal talks have yet to take place, Manchester City officials are fully aware of Newcastle’s interest, with Pep Guardiola willing to allow Phillips to leave on loan for the second half of the season.The 28-year-old has not made a single Premier League start this season and has accepted the need to leave the Etihad Stadium in order to secure a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the European Championships in Germany next summer.

Phillips will only join a club that guarantees him regular first-team football for the rest of the season, with the absence of Sandro Tonali indicating that Newcastle has a gap in their squad that he could fill.

However, Juventus have also signalled their intention to make a loan offer that would enable Phillips to move to Turin next month.

The Italian side are currently second in the Serie A table, four points behind leaders Inter Milan, and are determined to strengthen once the transfer window reopens in order to support their attempts to land the title.

Like Newcastle, Juventus cannot offer European football in the second half of the season, but a move to Italy would allow Phillips to experience a new footballing culture and potentially enhance his career development.

One negative to such a switch would be the regard in which Southgate appears to hold Italian football, with neither Fikayo Tomori nor Ruben Loftus-Cheek having been able to secure a regular place in the England side since joining AC Milan.

However, Phillips is set to discuss his future with Southgate, and would seek assurances about the effect on his England prospects before agreeing to a move to Italy.

Newcastle officials will attempt to persuade the former Leeds United midfielder and his representatives that a switch to St James’ would be the best way of getting his career back on track after a difficult season-and-a-half in Manchester, with Guardiola having confirmed he would not prevent any of his players from joining another top-half club in the Premier League if it was the best thing for all involved