Premier League side Newcastle United are interested in signing Preston North End defender Ben Davies this summer, according to reports from The Sun.

The 23-year-old made 41 appearances for North End last season, as Alex Neil's side formed a somewhat unlikely push for promotion after a solid season in the Championship.

The defender has come on leaps and bounds under the Scot, and has been a regular for the Lancashire club since returning from a solid loan spell at Fleetwood Town.

Able to play primarily as a centre-half but as a left-back too, Davies is now attracting interest from the Magpies, with new boss Steve Bruce said to be a keen admirer of Davies after his time at Sheffield Wednesday last term.

Newcastle already have the likes of Fabian Schar, Jamaal Lascelles, Florian Lejeune and Federico Fernandez on their books, but Bruce will undoubtedly look to reshuffle his squad ahead of the new Premier League campaign.

Preston have already lost a hugely important player in Callum Robinson to the Premier League this season, with the prolific forward signing for Sheffield United, so this would be a blow that they could really live without.

The Verdict

Losing Davies would be a bigger blow for Preston than losing Robinson, in my view.

Of course, Robinson's goals will be very hard to replace, but Davies has been an absolute rock for North End under Neil, and suits the Scot's playing style to a tee.

It isn't surprising to see him being linked with a move to the Premier League - he is a fantastic ball-player, he wins aerial duels, and on the turn he is also quite quick.

If Newcastle come calling, they need to hold out for a lot of money.