Newcastle United are interested in Manchester United duo Phil Jones and Jesse Lingard, according to The Daily Star

The lowdown

The defender recently returned to the Red Devils' Premier League starting line-up for the first time in two years against Wolverhampton Wanderers, while the midfielder has been limited to 88 minutes of top-flight football so far this season, with a change of manager at Old Trafford failing to yield any real improvement in terms of game-time for either.

Newcastle have already flexed their muscles this month with the £12m signing of Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid, who won La Liga last season and have qualified for the Champions League knockout stages this term. Chris Wood has also joined from Burnley in a £25m deal.

The latest

The Daily Star's Harry Pratt named Newcastle as one of Jones' admirers. While Eddie Howe has 'more pressing transfer targets' in mind right now, he could revisit the potential move later in the transfer window. The Red Devils value the centre-back at £15m, a price tag which has put Burnley off.

In a separate report, Alex Wood wrote that Newcastle are willing to stump up a £3m fee to add Lingard to their ranks. The England international, who is also a target for West Ham after his loan spell with the Irons last season, is said to be 'weighing up a departure' from Old Trafford this month.

The verdict

Howe wants players who are proven in the Premier League to haul Newcastle away from trouble, and the the Red Devils' 29-year-old duo seem to fit the bill. Jones has made 201 appearances in the English top flight, while Lingard has played 158 times at that level.

Jones may have allayed any concerns over his fitness with an impressive display against Wolves a fortnight ago. He won seven out of his eight duels and blocked three shots to earn a SofaScore rating of 7.6/10, the second-highest in Ralf Rangnick's side.

Meanwhile, Lingard showed what he was capable of at West Ham in the early month of 2021, netting nine goals and laying on five assists in 16 appearances during a highly successful loan spell.

Those would suggest that both could make a big impact at St James' Park if they swap Manchester for Tyneside.

In other news, Luke Edwards has been lamenting by this transfer update involving Newcastle