Newcastle United face Premier League competition as January move for defender eyed

PRESTON, ENGLAND - JULY 27: Joelinton of Newcastle United is fouled by Ben Davies of Preston North End for a penalty kick which is subsequently missed during a pre-season friendly match between Preston North End and Newcastle United at Deepdale on July 27, 2019 in Preston, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Newcastle United will reportedly face competition from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the chase to land highly-rated Championship defender Ben Davies.

The Magpies were linked with a summer move for the player, who played against United in pre-season – and head coach Steve Bruce is thought to be a fan of the ball-playing central defender.

And his performances in the second tier for Preston North End have also alerted Nuno Espirito Santo, with Wolves suffering an injury crisis in that area at present.

The report states: “Wolves have watched Davies in action a couple of times in recent weeks and are planning to make a move for him when the transfer window opens in January.”

With defenders aplenty at St James’s Park – and the return of Fabian Schar and Florian Lejeune imminent – a move for the player, at this stage, remains unlikely.