Newcastle United have won the race to sign another young talent at Academy level.
NUFC Blog revealed earlier this month that Oliver Goodbrand wasn’t the only Rangers prospect attracting serious interest from Tyneside, with 16-year-old Alfie Hutchison also targeted in a potential double raid of the Scottish giants.
A few weeks on, our move for Hutchison has now been confirmed, with Fabrizio Romano revealing that Newcastle have beaten several Premier League clubs to his signature.
The teenager is likely to join Goodbrand in our Under-18 side next season, with scope to move up to Under-21 level quickly – much like Leo Shahar and Trevan Sanusi – should they impress.
Hutchinson, who can play up top or out wide, made an immediate impression on his Glasgow Cup debut for Rangers, scoring two goals against Queen’s Park earlier this year.
He will be joined on Tyneside by fellow Gers Academy talent Goodbrand, who was due on Tyneside for medical checks earlier this month.
Goodrand is a left-footed defender who broke into the Rangers B team at the age of 15. He has also captained Scotland at youth level.
Hutchison is perhaps even more highly-regarded, having made a big impression since signing from Hearts’ academy last summer.
At the time, Hearts reporter Joel Sked wrote that whoever signed Hutchison would have a serious player on their hands after watching him score in international games against Italy and Portugal:
“The teenager has impressed playing for Scotland, scoring against Italy and Portugal, and will likely continue to be monitored by clubs down south.”