Newcastle United are set to swoop in and strike a deal for a teenage midfielder after a Liverpool contract snub.
Newcastle and Liverpool have dominated plenty of transfer stories this summer. The Reds have been strongly linked with a move for Alexander Isak but Newcastle have stood firm on their intention not to sell the striker.
Anthony Gordon has also been a player of interest to Liverpool after holding talks last summer but a deal is unlikely unless Liverpool were to sell Luis Diaz. More recently, Harvey Elliot has been linked with a move in the opposite direction with various reports crediting Newcastle with an interest in the England Under-21s European Championship winner.
No concrete offers have been made for the aforementioned players and the deals have not progressed beyond the initial speculation and interest.
But Newcastle have made a move at academy level and look set to sign a midfielder who recently rejected the chance to stay at Liverpool.
Newcastle United swoop for Liverpool starlet
According to Mail Sport, Newcastle are set to sign 16-year-old midfielder Isaac Moran.
The teenager broke into Liverpool’s Under-18s side last season and has also captained England at youth level.
Liverpool offered Moran a scholarship to remain at the club, but it was turned down, leaving the youngster free to assess his options elsewhere. And Newcastle have swooped in to offer a contract to Moran as their academy recruitment drive continues.
Players below the age of 17 can’t sign professional contracts, but can agree scholarships which lead to pro deals. Subject to a deal being finalised, Moran is set to join up with Newcastle’s Under-18s side for the 2025/26 season.
Newcastle United strike triple contract agreement
Newcastle United have just signed three players to their first professional contracts after impressing at academy level last season.
Joe Brayson, Luke Craggs and Logan Watts have all signed their first professional contracts with Newcastle.
The local trio are all boyhood Newcastle supporters and have progressed through the club’s academy to earn full-time contracts.
It comes as the club officially released Josh Donaldson, Jay Turner-Cooke, Harry Powell, Rory Powell, James Huntley and Ellis Stanton from their professional contracts on Tuesday. The six players represented Newcastle at academy level but failed to make a competitive first-team appearance for the club.
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But Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe insists there is a clear pathway for players to progress from the academy to the first-team under his watch.
Since Howe’s appointment, Lewis Miley has gone from an academy player to Newcastle’s youngest Premier League goalscorer and a regular member of the first team squad. Elliot Anderson also progressed from the Under-21s to the first team and became Newcastle’s record transfer sale last summer when he joined Nottingham Forest for £35million.
18-year-old winger Trevan Sanusi made his competitive debut for the club in January after impressing at Under-21s level. Leo Shahar and Sean Neave have also regularly trained with the first team this year while also being included in first-team matchday squads.
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