Newcastle United are battling with two huge North East rivals for the signing of Hartlepool midfielder Josh Hawkes, according to TEAMtalk.
The outlet claims that the Magpies are joined by local rivals Middlesbrough and Sunderland in coveting the 20-year-old, who has exploded into form of late.
Hawkes has bagged three goals in his last four games for the National League outfit, drawing the interest of a host of teams from higher up the Football League pyramid.
The likes of Burnley, Huddersfield Town, Sheffield United, Hull City and Barnsley are all also interested in the youngster.
OPINION
This is going to be an interesting battle, because it’s clear that Hawkes has plenty of admirers. Obviously Burnley would, on paper, present the biggest challenge for Newcastle here because of their shared Premier League status. Huddersfield seem destined for the Championship, although Sheffield United could wind up replacing them in the top flight. Still, though, you would expect a North East lad like Hawkes to favour a move to Newcastle – the biggest team in the region – over any of the other sides said to be interested in him here. The question then is whether he’s somebody worth bringing to the club? Obviously he’s excelling at Hartlepool and he clearly has talent, but National League to the Premier League is a colossal step up. Would he be able to handle it? There’s only one way to find out, of course, but this is unlikely to be a move the Magpies regret if they end up missing out on Hawkes.
