[ad_pod ]

Newcastle reportedly tried to sign Phil Foden on loan in the January transfer market, so what would that mean for the Magpies?

What's the story?

According to The Sun, both Newcastle and Southampton wanted to take Foden on loan for the remainder of the season, with Bournemouth also showing some interest.

The 18 year-old is yet to really solidify himself in Manchester City’s first team, but the report claims Pep Guardiola wants to give him more first team chances.

He has started just six games in all competitions this season, but the champions do still have four trophies left to fight for, so it is perhaps no surprise that Guardiola wants to keep his squad in tact.

That said, the very fact that Newcastle were interested in the teenager reveals a worrying truth about one summer flop.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals why Tyne-Wear is a more intense derby than anything London can offer - check out the video below....

What does it tell us?

Due to Premier League rules regarding loan signings, Newcastle could not sign Foden on loan in January without a significant change to the status of either Salomon Rondon or Kenedy, as clubs cannot loan more than two players at once.

This means the Magpies would have to either send one of Rondon or Kenedy back to their respective clubs or buy them permanently.

Given that Mike Ashley is still in charge, the “buy them permanently” option seems pretty unlikely, so chances are it would have been Kenedy who left, with Rondon currently absolutely indispensible to Rafael Benitez.

Kenedy was brilliant in his first loan spell on Tyneside, but has never really got going since re-joining the club last summer, registering just one Premier League goal all season and only 32 minutes of league action since the turn of the year.

If the report is true, Kenedy’s time at Newcastle is well and truly over, as Rafa clearly has no future plans for the feisty winger.