Newcastle want to sign £15m midfielder likened to Paul Pogba

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Newcastle United have been linked with Bournemouth’s Philip Billing in recent days.

The Magpies could do with bolstering their midfield ranks amid a series of injuries and Sandro Tonali’s suspension.

The Daily Mail reported a few days ago that Billing is a player of interest for Newcastle and Eddie Howe, who signed him for £15million for the Cherries in 2019.

Meanwhile, The Telegraph reported that the Magpies view the 27-year-old as a potentially cheaper alternative to Everton’s Amadou Onana.

Admittedly, the latter report acknowledged that a move for Billing this month would be hard to push through, as the Cherries wouldn’t want to lose a key player mid-season.

Nevertheless, this could be one to keep tabs on for the remainder of the January transfer window, and potentially into the summer as well.

Newcastle United target Philip Billing has a ‘real mix of qualities’

Billing would be a great shout for Newcastle if they can get a deal over the line either in January or in the summer.

At 27 years old, he is very much in his prime and has considerable Premier League experience, while still having plenty of years ahead of him.

Billing has made 179 appearances for Bournemouth, registering 31 goals and 20 assists. He also has five Denmark caps to his name.

In 2019, Howe told Sky Sports, via the Bournemouth Echo: “Philip’s an outstanding athlete.

“You just have to look at him to know that physically he will bring a lot to the team.

“Technically he is very good, a good ball-playing centre midfield player with good energy.

“He’s got a real mix of qualities that I think will make us stronger.”

In 2022, The Athletic wrote: “In a similar way to Paul Pogba, Billing plays like he’s a whole foot shorter than he actually is – opting for backheels, acrobatic volleys and dexterity in tight spaces.”

Let’s see what happens in the coming weeks. Newcastle may well decide to probe further in pursuit of Billing, but there’s no doubt that it would be a hard signing to pull off this month.