‘Agreement reached’ as Newcastle prepare to sign Man City midfielder that’s not Kalvin Phillips

Eddie Howe before a Newcastle United match

Newcastle have improved Eddie Howe's squad with a new signing

After failing to sign Kalvin Phillips from Manchester City, Newcastle United have instead opted to bring in 18-year-old midfielder Alfie Harrison from the reigning Premier League champions, according to a top source.

Newcastle held talks with Man City over loaning Phillips for the remainder of the season. The 28-year-old is desperate for a move this month as he has barely played at City.

Newcastle capturing Phillips would have made a lot of sense, as he could have filled in for the banned Sandro Tonali and the injured Joelinton.

But the discussions between Newcastle and City soon crumbled. It has since been claimed that Eddie Howe was behind Newcastle ending their pursuit, as he was not sure the Englishman would have been the right fit for the team.

Instead, Phillips is poised to join West Ham United on loan, and the Irons will have the option to sign him permanently in the summer.

But Newcastle could still bolster their ranks with a different addition from City. According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Newcastle have ‘reached an agreement’ with the Citizens for Harrison, the Manchester-born teenager who has come through City’s academy.

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Harrison will undergo a medical at Newcastle in the next few days. Should he pass such medical tests, then he will pen a long-term contract at St James’ Park.

Ornstein adds that Newcastle have convinced the youngster to join by offering him a clear path to their first team over the coming seasons.

Alfie Harrison swaps Man City for Newcastle

Harrison will soon become the latest exciting young player to sign for Newcastle, following the likes of Lewis Hall, Tino Livramento and Anthony Gordon.

The Magpies also have teenage forwards Yankuba Minteh and Garang Kuol out on loan in the Netherlands.

While Newcastle’s owners, the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, are keen to engineer success in the next few years, they also want to ensure that the club is able to compete with the biggest and best teams in the long run. And they can do this by continuing to land talented teenagers such as Harrison, Hall and Minteh.

Newcastle will be hoping Harrison can eventually follow in the footsteps of Cole Palmer. The 21-year-old swapped City for Chelsea in September and has since established himself as one of Mauricio Pochettino’s most important players.

Granted, Harrison is a few years behind Palmer in terms of his development. But the brilliance of City’s academy means it would not be a surprise if Newcastle’s latest arrival went on to become a major star in the north east.

READ MORE: Gary Neville backs win-win West Ham transfer after explaining why Kalvin Phillips was ‘fish out of water’ at Man City