Aston Villa and Newcastle United suffer a blow in their pursuit of James Garner as David Moyes wants to block his exit.

James Garner’s future has become a massive talking point as his contract is running out, and clubs are eyeing a cut-price deal in the upcoming winter transfer window. Aston Villa and Newcastle United are among the clubs that are keen on his signature.

But, according to Pete O’Rourke via Football Insider, David Moyes has no intentions of losing the Manchester United graduate mid-season. Despite growing concerns about his contract situation, the Scottish manager is set to block a winter exit.

O’Rourke’s take on Garner’s situation

While speaking about Garner’s future, O’Rourke said, “Garner is obviously going to be of interest to a lot of clubs because of his contract situation.

“Everton will be doing everything they can to keep hold of him.

“He’s been arguably Everton’s best player this season and he’s even been tipped for an England call-up by David Moyes because of his performances.

“He’s such a versatile player, obviously can play in midfield but has filled in at right-back and left-back, and that shows his importance to the Everton team.

“I’m sure with his contract situation that Everton will be looking to sit down and discuss a new contract with him because David Moyes would be loath to lose such a key player.

“You’ve got the likes of Newcastle, Villa, Nottingham Forest and West Ham looking at him, but Everton will be doing everything they can to tie him down to a new deal.”

Garner parted ways with the Red Devils to join Everton in the summer of 2022. The 24-year-old defensive midfielder has only gone from strength to strength since joining the Toffees. He has featured in close to 100 matches for them.

The United graduate remains one of the first names on their team sheet under Moyes despite the fact that his contract is running out, and he could end up leaving for free at the end of the season.

He has been in sensational form of late, and Everton are trying their best to secure his long-term future with a new deal. However, they haven’t really made any significant progress just yet.

With his deal running down, clubs like Aston Villa and Newcastle are eyeing a cut-price winter move. Both clubs seek more quality and depth in midfield, and they consider Garner an ideal fit for their project. Not only will he bolster their midfield, but the 24-year-old can even feature in multiple positions across the pitch.

Moyes won’t greenlight Garner’s exit

Garner has massive potential, and both Villa and the Magpies see this as a great opportunity to snap up a top talent. However, they will struggle to get their hands on him in the upcoming transfer window.

Moyes considers him a very important part of his plans, and he has absolutely no intentions of offloading him mid-season. While it might be Everton’s final chance to raise some funds from his departure, Moyes is still set to block a potential exit.

The club might not have made any progress on a new deal, but they still intend to hold talks in the near future. They are looking to deter suitors with a new long-term deal.