Newcastle United have been monitoring Manchester United's highly-rated youngster Brandon Williams with the 20-year-old likely to be made available for loan in January.
Williams can operate at left-back, right-back or as a wing-back and with Newcastle needing competition for places in that area, with Paul Dummett yet to play this season, the scouting assignments on the England Under-21 international are prudent from Newcastle.
Toon boss Steve Bruce has an excellent rapport with his former Old Trafford team-mate Mike Phelan and current Man United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and any offer from the Magpies would be taken seriously for Williams.
Although, Southampton are also keen on taking the youth graduate on a loan deal for the second half of the season after attempting to lure him to St Mary's in September.
Back then Man United resisted as they wanted Williams to play in their congested League Cup campaign early in the season but he has made just one appearance in the Premier League and four in all competitions.
Newcastle are yet to burn one of their domestic loan options in the transfer market after taking Danny Rose from Tottenham Hotspur earlier this year.
Man United have already made it clear that Williams is only available for a straight loan option as they see him as a genuine star of the future and have him tied down until 2024.
