Newcastle United have placed England debutant Angel Gomes at the top of their January wish list, according to reports.

Three Lions interim boss Lee Carsley raised eyebrows when he called the 24-year-old up for the double-header against the Republic of Ireland and Finland. Gomes represented England at every youth level from under-16 and was part of Carsley's squad that won the under-21s Euros last year.

He was the first Premier League player to be born in the 21st century when he made his Manchester United debut in May 2017, replacing Wayne Rooney. But the midfielder would make just 10 appearances for the Red Devils before moving to Lille.

Gomes has stayed there ever since and is now a key cog in the Ligue 1 outfit's engine room. That earned him an unexpected England call-up - and he did not let his country down.

A 13-minute cameo against Ireland was followed by a first start at Wembley, with Gomes partnering Declan Rice as the base of England's midfield. Cool, calm and collected on the ball, Gomes impressed, was always available for a pass and put his name into the mix for next month's internationals.

Carsley gave insight into how Gomes' mind works following the 2-0 win over Finland. He said: "He loves football, he watches football, he's interested in tactics, he knows all the players in any league.

The Sun now claim Newcastle are pursuing Gomes ahead of the January transfer window. Paul Mitchell knows French football well from his previous work at Monaco but the Magpies are well-stacked in midfield.

There are also echoes of the Marc Guehi saga in the summer when Newcastle moved for a player once he became a recognised England star. That would certainly hike his value but his contract is set to expire at the end of the season - placing Premier League clubs on red alert.