Newcastle United are in for a busy deadline day, with the widely reported Alexander Isak transfer saga taking centre stage.
Eddie Howe has shared how much he is looking forward to the transfer window closing, but the 47-year-old still has some work to do before the 7pm deadline.
Alexander Isak informed the Newcastle United hierarchy of his intention to leave the club this summer, with Liverpool seriously interested. In August, Liverpool had a £110m bid rejected for Isak, but now they have had a fresh bid of £130m accepted in the early hours of the morning.
Newcastle announced the signing of Nick Woltemade on Saturday, so his replacement has arrived, though it is understood Howe wants another striker to complete their summer recruitment drive.
While all the attention will be on Isak on deadline day, there is another Newcastle player whose future needs to be resolved one way or another.
Harrison Ashby holds up the ball during a Premier League 2 game between Newcastle United U21s and Southampton U21s.
Photo by Harriet Massey/Newcastle United via Getty Images
Newcastle United must find a move for Harrison Ashby on deadline day
Harrison Ashby arrived at Newcastle from West Ham United in 2023, but it is fair to say that the defender has failed to make an impact in his two-and-a-half years on Tyneside.
The 23-year-old has yet to make a competitive appearance for Newcastle, despite costing them £3m, and it does not look as though he will have the chance to play anytime soon, given the form of Tino Livramento. Additionally, Newcastle will likely have Kieran Trippier for the remainder of the 2025/26 season, so they are well-stocked at right-back.
Ashby spent the last two seasons on loan at Swansea City and QPR, respectively, and it would be best if he made another loan move away from Newcastle on deadline day.
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The defender got his chance to impress during pre-season, and did well in some of his cameos, but it is very difficult to see Howe making him part of his plans going forward.
Ashby needs consistent game time to continue his development, but it is clear that he will need to leave Newcastle to get that. With just a year left on his deal (capology), Newcastle must now decide whether to send him out on loan or move him on permanently. The decision must be made quickly in the midst of all the other work that needs to be done.
Harrison Ashby impressed Eddie Howe during pre-season cameo appearances
Following his time at QPR, Ashby reported back to Newcastle training in July, and stayed in and around the first-team squad throughout pre-season.
Ashby was included in the Newcastle squad that toured Asia in pre-season, playing against the likes of Team K-League in South Korea.
The 23-year-old also got a start at St James’ Park in the Sela Cup clash against Atletico Madrid, where he caught Howe’s eye.
Howe admitted he was impressed with Ashby post-match, “I think the biggest thing today is I liked his attitude,” he said.
“He attacked the position. He’s very rarely played that position, although he has trained there for us. It’s a sign of our squad depth. We are stretched in midfield.”