Newcastle United have purely focussed on departures in the January transfer window.
It has been a disappointing month for Newcastle United fans from an arrivals perspective. Just one player has joined Newcastle in January.
Young striker Kyle Fitzgerald will link up with Newcastle’s under-21s after signing his first professional contract with the Magpies.
While the first three weeks of the window were quiet on Tyneside, wheels have been turning in recent days with several players set to leave the club before the deadline on Sunday.
Miguel Almiron has left Newcastle after agreeing to return to MLS side Atlanta United, the club he joined Newcastle from six years ago.
Newcastle have already sent players out on loan in January. Isaac Hayden joined Portsmouth to link up with former Newcastle man Matt Ritchie.
Newcastle also confirmed another loan move in January – Alex Murphy joined League One side Bolton Wanderers. The young defender has now opened up on his move away after some shocking news.
Newcastle loanee Alex Murphy on his time at Bolton
After two games on the bench, Murphy made his Bolton debut in a 3-1 win against Northampton Town in League One.
Murphy left Newcastle in pursuit of more minutes. However, just a few days after joining, Ian Evatt left Bolton which left Murphy in the dark over how much game time he would get.
Speaking to Bolton News, Murphy has reflected on the early days of his loan.
“Obviously it’s a bit weird when you are just through the door and the manager is leaving,” he said. “He was good with me in the couple of days I had with him but that’s football.”
Murphy has been in and around Newcastle’s first-team squad for the last season-and-a-half. The 20-year-old made two appearances for the Magpies last season and was named on the bench for several games throughout the current campaign.
Before he left Newcastle, Murphy revealed that Eddie Howe had given him a clear objective that would determine whether he is ready to play more frequently in the Premier League.
“When I left they told me you have to go to Bolton and be the best player on the pitch every time,” he said. “If I want to play in the Premier League, I have to show that I’m able to play at this level.
“I’ve been in and around it for about a year and a half now. I’ve been on the bench loads of times, but obviously, I’ve only made the two appearances, which is kind of low for how many times I’ve been on the bench.
“I’m just trying to push every day and obviously training with players at Newcastle and players here is obviously going to help me for my experience.
“Obviously, the aim is to go back there and play as much as I can. That’s my ultimate goal. But I think this is a massive step for me and it’s a massive learning curve.”
Alex Murphy’s chances of game time at Newcastle
Murphy’s loan to Bolton is a huge opportunity for him to show Howe that he is good enough to play at a high level. Bolton have struggled so far this season, but are still contenders for a play-off place as they look to get back into the Championship.
While Murphy has played some football at Newcastle, it is hard to see him playing consistently for the Magpies.
The Irishman is a left-footed centre-back – Newcastle have plenty of those. The likes of Dan Burn and Sven Botman can also play in that position.
If he were to play on the right side of defence, he may struggle to hit the ground running. There is a chance that Burn becomes a less favourable option next season due to his age, but Botman looks set to be Newcastle’s first-choice left-sided centre-back for many years to come.
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