Mike Ashley’s final years as Newcastle United owner were some of the most chaotic of his tenure, and it’s a nigh-on miracle we’ve been able to reach where we currently are four years later.
Whether it was replacing the immensely-popular Rafa Benitez with Steve Bruce, or some of the most stringent spending in the entire division, it was a truly terrible time to be a Toon fan.
But one of the last acts Ashley oversaw was the complete gutting of some of the club’s top academy prospects, seeing no value in the club’s youth setup.
Though things could be about to change, as one of the youngsters sold under Ashley could be on his way back to Tyneside in a dramatic return…
According to The Chronicle, Newcastle United have been handed an ’11th-hour’ opportunity to sign Bobby Clark, son of former Toon hero Lee.
Currently at Austrian giants RB Salzburg after leaving Liverpool last year, the 21-year-old is due to land in the UK today to discuss a number of offers, with a loan move that includes a £5m option to buy up for grabs.
Lee Ryder reports that Clark is ‘open’ to rejoining, although it’s thought one club in the race to sign the midfielder are moving closer to a deal, giving Newcastle a small window to hijack that move, if Eddie Howe is keen.
Amongst the other potential suitors are Sunderland and Rangers, as well as European sides Red Star Belgrade, PSV Eindhoven, Anderlecht and Hadjuk Split.
Clark, sold back in late 2021 to Liverpool for around £1.5m, was notably part of Jurgen Klopp’s 2024 Carabao Cup winning side, playing nearly an hour in the final before lifting the trophy alongside fellow youngsters Jayden Danns and James McConnell.
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Some claim that Clark’s inclusion in our squad could go a long way to helping meet homegrown and academy-trained player quotas in both the Premier League and Champions League, although that is unclear based on the age he left (16).
Nonetheless, Eddie Howe has previously expressed a desire to have at least six midfielders available in his squad, which has not replaced Elliot Anderson, recently sold Sean Longstaff and lost Joe Willock to four to six weeks through injury.
Beyond top trio Bruno, Tonali and Joelinton, there is currently only Lewis Miley fit, along with under-21 talent Travis Hernes, who has featured twice so far over pre-season.
With how thin our squad is right now, there may be some who’d take Clark back on a tempting loan-to-buy, but I expect us to aim a little higher than him in our bid to beef up a midfield pool currently light on quality back-up.