Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce has been keeping tabs on the progress of Crewe Alexandra midfielder Ryan Wintle, a report from NUFC Blog has claimed.

Bruce was spotted watching Crewe's 2-0 home win over League One leaders Peterborough United on Saturday afternoon, and while it has been suggested that Posh striker Siriki Dembele was the subject of the Newcastle boss' interest, it seems he was not the only one Bruce was paying attention to.

According to this latest update, Bruce was also scouting Wintle when he took in the game on Saturday, with the midfielder playing the full 90 minutes as Crewe claimed all three points.

Wintle, who joined Crewe back in 2015, has made a total of 153 appearances in all competitions for the League One club, scoring nine goals and providing 12 assists during that time.

As things stand, Wintle's current contract with Crewe is set to expire at the end of this season, meaning he could be free to leave the club for nothing if no deal is agreed before then.

It was reported during the summer that Crewe rejected a £200,000 bid from Scottish Premiership side Hibernian for the signing of the 26-year-old.

The Verdict

It does feel as though you could certainly argue that there is a chance of this happening.

A move to Newcastle would undoubtedly be a big step up for Wintle, but after an impressive performance on Saturday - his match rating of 7.23 on WhoScored was the fourth-highest of anyone involved in the game - Bruce could be tempted to take a chance on the midfielder.

Indeed, with his contract expiring in the summer, Crewe may be willing to sell in January so that they at least receive a fee for him, and a club of Newcastle's size should be easily capable of affording the asking price.

You also feel as though Wintle would relish the chance of a move to a club such a Newcastle, meaning this could be a deal that works out well for all concerned.