Newcastle United have reportedly seen their loan approach for Cole Palmer get knocked back by Premier League champions Manchester City.
According to a report from The Athletic, Manchester City have rebuffed Newcastle United in their attempts to secure the signing of exciting teenage prospect Cole Palmer on a loan deal in January.
Palmer is a product of the Manchester City youth academy and has been on the club’s books for over a decade now. The Wythenshawe-born attacking midfielder made his first-team debut for the Cityzens in September last year and has chalked up a total of 12 appearances to date, scoring a couple of goals in the process.
Able to play in a multitude of positions in attack and midfield, Palmer is rated very highly at Manchester City. Pep Guardiola has been slowly integrating the teenage prodigy into the first team at the Etihad, and his progress has caught the attention of Newcastle United.
The Magpies are scouring the market for reinforcements as they look to strengthen their roster and make a push to survive the threat of relegation from the Premier League. Currently stationed in 19th place in the table, Newcastle have been struggling at both ends of the pitch.
One of the worst-performing teams in the league defensively, Eddie Howe’s side have been found wanting in attack as well with a lack of creativity and goal threat. Allan Saint-Maximin has had little in terms of support in chance-creation for the Tyneside outfit, which is something that they are looking to address in the winter transfer window.
It has led to links with Barcelona playmaker Philippe Coutinho, but the Brazilian rejected their advances. A move for Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard has also been mooted, but the England international looks set to stay put at Old Trafford for the rest of the season before moving on at the end of the season when his contract expires.
As a result, Newcastle have been forced to explore other options, with Cole Palmer emerging as a loan target. As per the report, officials from the club approached Manchester City to discuss the possibility of a temporary move for the 19-year-old attacking midfielder. However, they were quickly turned down by the Premier League champions.
With Ferran Torres set to leave for Barcelona imminently, Manchester City are unlikely to bring in any replacements and rely on their current options, which could lead to more involvement for Palmer. As a result, they have rejected Newcastle’s approach for the England Under-21 international, leaving them to look for alternatives.