Former Newcastle United prospect Adam Armstrong has been named the Championship's PFA Player of the Year after a sensational season with Blackburn Rovers.
The striker has been linked with a Premier League switch this summer after bagging 29 goals in his latest campaign at Ewood Park.
Rafa Benitez sanctioned the £1.7m sale of Armstrong in 2018, but United could be set to profit from a 40% sell-on clause which could also work in their favour if they look to broker a return.
Southampton and West Ham have also been credited with an interest, with talk of a £20m deal which could boost Newcastle's own budget this summer.
Armstrong finished second in the Championship's goalscoring charts behind ex-United striker Ivan Toney, but beat his former team-mate, United loanee Freddie Woodman, Emi Buendia, Teemu Pukki and Kieffer Moore to the PFA award.
The forward thanked his Rovers team-mates and those who voted for him in a social media post.
He wrote: "Thank you to all who voted for me for the PFA Fans’ Player of the Year Award.
"Individual awards are not possible without my teammates."
A statement from Rovers read: "His overall haul of 29 goals and three hat-tricks was the most by a Rovers player in 25 years, since Alan Shearer scored 31 goals and bagged five trebles in the 1995-96 season.
"The latest success means that Armstrong has scooped a hat-trick of accolades, having won Rovers’ Players' Player of the Year and Junior Rovers Player of the Year awards at the end of the season.
"Congratulations, Arma!"
