Three academy gems have impressed staff at Newcastle and could make debut this season alongside Trevan Sanusi

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There are a handful of academy stars at Newcastle United looking to make a breakthrough under Eddie Howe this season.

The Premier League Profit and Sustainability Rules have shackled Newcastle’s ability to spend in recent transfer windows, with the Magpies enduring a miserable summer as a result.

It means that there is more pressure on Eddie Howe to progress and improve players with raw potential. Thankfully for Newcastle, that is an area in which Howe thrives.

Countless Newcastle players have improved under his tutelage and Lewis Hall admitted that Howe’s coaching surprised him after he moved to St James’ Park.

With no European football this season there will be less of a need for Howe to rotate his squad, but there are three academy stars champing at the bit to break into his first-team plans.

READ MORE: £10m Newcastle United player now thinks he has got so much better under Eddie Howe

Academy trio pushing for Newcastle debut this season

Newcastle have paid a lot of attention to their academy since the PiF takeover in 2021 with the Tyneside club hoping to bring through some of the brightest young talent in English football.

It seems the investment is already paying off with a host of youngsters now on the verge of the first team.

Trevan Sanusi is considered a ‘unique’ talent in Newcastle’s youth ranks, and it feels like a matter of time until the 17-year-old gets his first taste of senior football.

Howe had a chance to unleash Sanusi against AFC Wimbledon this week but instead opted for a more senior side as Newcastle booked their spot in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

The Athletic‘s Chris Waugh believes Trevan Sanusi is the one Newcastle academy star closest to making his first-team debut.

However, he also named three others who will be knocking on Howe’s door.

“Charlie McArthur, the 19-year-old defender, Leo Shahar, the 17-year-old right-back, and Cathal Heffernan, the 19-year-old centre-back, have all impressed Newcastle’s first-team coaching staff,” wrote Waugh.

Eddie Howe must show faith in academy stars

Midfield duo Sean Longstaff and Lewis Miley have both come through the ranks at Newcastle and cemented their spot in the first-team dressing room.

There is a real buzz around the current crop of academy talents at Newcastle this year and it would be a surprise if the trio of McArthur, Shahar and Heffernan were not given a chance to impress this season.

Particularly Shahar, who looks like a ready-made replacement for Kieran Trippier should he choose to leave Newcastle in January or next summer.

Shahar has recently trained with the first team so is very much on Howe’s radar. Tino Livramento has been doing a superb job at right-back this season but Shahar could provide great competition for the spot if Trippier is sold.

Defensive duo McArthur and Heffernan could also get their chance given that Newcastle’s back line is looking worryingly thin.

Jamaal Lascelles and Sven Botman remain injured until 2025 and Fabian Schar suffered an injury scare against Wimbledon. Their chance of first-team football could be just around the corner.