Sky Sports confirm NUFC’s interest in available Premier League CB - Brighton, Burnley & West Ham also keen

Sky Sports have confirmed that Newcastle are in the hunt to sign Liverpool centre-back Nat Phillips.

The 24-year-old had been linked with a move to Tyneside earlier in the summer, with him expected to be sold now Liverpool have got Virgil Van Dik, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez fit again.

It looks like we'll face competition, however, with Sky Sports revealing that German giants Bayer Leverkusen are keen alongside ourselves, Brighton, Burnley and West Ham.

He has only made 20 appearances for the Reds since graduating from their youth academy; all of them in the midst of their defensive crisis last season.

A no-nonsense, disciplined centre half who is dominant in the air, Phillips would fit the bill as Steve Bruce looks to bring in another defender this summer.

After missing out on Kristoffer Ajer to Brentford, Bruce may feel he could get his man for a reasonable fee.

A £10million fee has been mooted, but it remains to be seen just how much he has to spend, making a loan deal seem more likely at our end - yet hardly desirable to Liverpool when they have clubs queuing up to buy him.