Newcastle make move for Watford midfielder - Deal 'would come within Bruce's budget' - Alan Nixon

According to Alan Nixon, Newcastle have contacted Watford over the potential signing of Will Hughes.

He reports that a deal for the midfielder 'would come within Bruce's budget', suggesting he's a realistic target and player we're now looking to bring St James' Park this summer.

Hughes - a former England U21 - was linked with a move to Tyneside during his time with Derby County, but ended up sealing an £8m move to Vicarage Road back in 2017.

Here's what Nixon, a chief reporter for The Sun, has had to say about our interest this afternoon:

Hughes scored two goals from midfield in 30 Championship games last season, where he helped the Hornets earn immediate promotion back to the Premier League.

Could this be a sign we've not got the funds to bring Joe Willock back on a permanent deal? I hope not, but Hughes is a similar player based on his box-to-box style in the middle of the park.

He's a tidy, energetic player who'd add to our squad, however it makes you wonder where this would leave the Willock deal and the likes of Sean and Matty Longstaff - two players who saw their game time suffer last season following the arrival of Jeff Hendrick.