The Newcastle United academy has a huge role to play in the future of the club.
Last year’s change of ownership brought fresh hope from fans, who are finally dreaming of a team that intends to be ambitious on and off the pitch.
We’ve already seen huge changes at St James’ Park. Eddie Howe has changed the footballing culture, while big names have bought into the project such as Bruno Guimaraes.
The atmosphere inside the stadium is incredible again, with Wor Flags orchestrating a packed house every other week with no Sports Direct signs in sight. Meanwhile, club legends are getting the respect they deserve, starting with Shearer’s Bar returning to the ground.
Changes are happening all over, and that includes the academy. And a report suggests two major names could be heading to Newcastle to help revamp the club’s youth system.
Newcastle want Neil Bath and Jim Fraser to join Toon academy
According to the Sun, the Magpies want to bring two Chelsea youth chiefs to the North East – Neil Bath and Jim Fraser.
The former is Chelsea’s head of youth development, while the latter is his assistant and head of youth recruitment. When you consider the talent that has came out of the Chelsea academy in recent years, these could be very exciting hires for Newcastle.
The likes of Mason Mount and Reece James were excellent in last night’s Champions League exit to Real Madrid – two products of the Chelsea academy.
Meanwhile, Tammy Abraham is flying in Roma, a player who has been sold for a huge profit. Although his form compared to Romelu Lukaku begs the question why they let him leave at all.
Newcastle are reportedly hoping to capitalise on the uncertainty surrounding Chelsea at the moment. With takeover talks still ongoing, the Blues remain unable to offer anyone new contracts, be it players or members of staff.
That could aid the Toon in their pursuit of Bath and Fraser. And the pair could play a huge role in building a new era for Newcastle United.
We’ve seen the odd player come out of the academy, but we simply don’t produce enough talent. That needs to change as the new owners look to rebuild the foundations of the club. We can’t rely on blockbuster signings. We need to build from the bottom and create our own stars.
Hiring Bath and Fraser could be a stroke of genius if Newcastle pull these deals off.
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