Rafael Benitez is planning talks with owner Mike Ashley about in-demand Newcastle United winger Jacob Murphy, according to the Daily Mirror.
The newspaper claims that the pair will consult about the former Norwich City man once the Sports Direct chief is back from a Christmas break.
Murphy is attracting interest from Premier League rivals Huddersfield Town, as well as Championship high flyers Derby County, both of whom are interested in loan moves for the player.
The 23-year-old has made just three league starts this campaign and his development has slowed to an alarming rate since moving to St James Park.
OPINION
Usually for a team in Newcastle’s situation it wouldn’t be a great idea to part with players in January, but it might be what’s required where Murphy is concerned. The former Norwich City man just hasn’t made the progress that anyone expected him to when he swapped the Canaries for the Magpies. He was an exciting talent who cost the club £12million – an astonishingly high fee in the Ashley era – but for whatever reason it’s just not happened for him in black and white. It’s clear that the talent is there, but he’s not been able to bring it out on a regular basis. It’s a bad sign when you’re losing game time to players like Christian Atsu and Kenedy. Some time away from Tyneside would be good to help get the player’s rapidly eroding confidence back. Perhaps the Huddersfield switch is a bad idea, as he’d be going into a similar situation to the one at Newcastle, but Derby would be perfect. Frank Lampard has done a terrific job with the likes of Harry Wilson and Mason Mount this season, and Murphy could be the latest player to profit from the Chelsea legend.
