According to Football Insider, Newcastle are planning on offering a new contract to Jacob Murphy in order to block a potential January exit.

What's the story?

After spending the last couple of seasons out on loan, the winger has enjoyed a renaissance in his Magpies career this campaign, coming back into the fold under Steve Bruce and becoming one of the first names on the team-sheet - he's started the last four games in the Premier League.

However, with his contract expiring at the end of this season, there was speculation that interested sides like Rangers would swoop in, but Football Insider have now delivered a major update on his long-term future.

They claim that the Magpies plan to offer Murphy a contract extension to ward off a potential cut-price departure in the January transfer window, or even lose him on a free transfer next summer.

Steve Bruce deserves credit

Bruce may not be Mr Popular on Tyneside right at this moment given how he's gotten his team playing, but there's no questioning that he deserves a bit of credit for giving Murphy the chance to reignite his Newcastle career.

After the winger's sparkling display in the Carabao Cup against Morecambe, the Magpies boss was absolutely adamant that he wouldn't be going anywhere in the summer transfer window, saying: "I won't be letting him out on loan! Not after a performance like that. He deserves to stay with us and he has improved enormously.

"I have been very, very pleased even though he didn't make the squad for the weekend. We have 20 odd players to choose from. But at this particular moment I won't be letting Jacob go on loan."

Since then, Murphy has become one of the few bright spots and key performers in a struggling Newcastle side, netting a stunning last-gasp equaliser against Wolves for example. Having arrived for £10m back in the summer of 2017, the 25-year-old is finally proving why he's been hailed for having "so much ability".