David Silva-esque Newcastle target missing from training match as Ashworth enters pole position

Newcastle target Callum Hudson-Odoi was withdrawn from a development squad match with the Magpies now in pole position to sign him, report The Sun.

Dan Ashworth and Eddie Howe are allegedly looking at several players from Chelsea, with Armando Broja, Conor Gallagher, Christian Pulisic and Hudson-Odoi all mentioned in the report.

The former trio were all introduced from the substitutes’ bench in their Premier League clash against Tottenham at the weekend however, while Hudson-Odoi didn’t feature.

Now, the exciting 21 year-old winger has missed a training match for the Blues’ Under-21 side, with a move away from Stamford Bridge seemingly edging ever closer.

Indeed, The Sun claim Ashworth and Newcastle are ‘strong favourites’ to get a deal over the line despite interest from Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Leicester and Southampton.

They claim the player’s absence from the development squad’s match against Fulham ‘suggests the Saudi-backed Toon are making their move’.

A loan transfer is reportedly now ‘edging closer’.

Hudson-Odoi may have struggled to break into a Chelsea squad packed with international superstars brought in for huge transfer fees, but a fresh start on Tyneside could be just the thing to reignite his career.

Sharing similar stylistic traits to Manchester City legend David Silva, he ranks in the 95th percentile for progressive carries when compared to positional peers in Europe’s top leagues, also registering in the 79th percentile for assists and 92nd for shot-creating actions.

He could inject real life into that struggling right-wing spot in Howe’s new-look Magpies XI, while a loan move minimises the risk from a financial point of view as PIF look to ensure they stay within the bounds of Financial Fair Play.