One Newcastle United player is facing a battle for his career on Tyneside after two recent developments.
The transfer window is now over, and Eddie Howe now has his squad for the next few months.
Newcastle United have added six senior players to their first-team squad, with the likes of Nick Woltemade and Anthony Elanga among the new arrivals.
In the meantime, several players left the club, with the likes of Callum Wilson and Sean Longstaff moving elsewhere after many years on Tyneside. However, that was not the case for many others.
One player who remained at Newcastle was Harrison Ashby. The defender spent two seasons on loan at Swansea City and QPR, but was unable to get a move elsewhere before the transfer window closed on Monday. It was that and another development which has left him fighting for his career at the club.
Harrison Ashby waves his arms in the air during a friendly between Newcastle United and Atletico Madrid.
Photo by George Wood/Getty Images
Harrison Ashby not included in Newcastle United’s Champions League squad
Ashby was part of Newcastle’s pre-season tour of Asia, coming on for the final 20 minutes of the Magpies’ 3-2 defeat to Arsenal in July.
Since then, Ashby impressed Howe against Atletico Madrid at St James’ Park, but has since been moved back to Newcastle’s U21s for their Premier League 2 campaign.
Ashby needed a move away in the summer, and there was a suggestion that the 23-year-old was going to join Stoke for the 2025/26 season. However, the move never materialised, and the defender remained on Tyneside.
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To make matters worse, Ashby was not included in Howe’s 25-man squad for the upcoming Champions League campaign, despite his impressive performances during pre-season. Ashby joins the likes of Jamaal Lascelles and John Ruddy in being omitted from the squad.
It is now clear that the former West Ham man has a lot of work to do if he wants a future at Newcastle.
Time is running out for Harrison Ashby at Newcastle United
Despite signing in 2023, Ashby has yet to make a competitive appearance for Newcastle.
Fans have seen glimpses of what he can do on the pitch thanks to his pre-season inclusion, but it remains to be seen whether he will ever have a chance to perform in the Premier League or cup competitions for Newcastle.
Ashby is a regular in first-team training and is likely the third-choice option at right-back, behind Tino Livramento and Kieran Trippier, but he is now in the final year of his contract, so if his first competitive appearance is coming, it will have to be soon.
Even then, Newcastle have Leo Shahar in their academy. The 18-year-old has seriously impressed in recent months and was even named on the bench for the Magpies Premier League game against Brentford in April.
It is a shame that Ashby has not been able to make a positive impact at Newcastle. He joined with a lot of hype, but has not been be allowed to impress.