Newcastle United are very eager to sign young players who have the potential to become special.
It is why they bought Yankuba Minteh in the summer of 2023. That turned out to be a brilliant acquisition, as his emergence out on loan allowed Newcastle United to cash in and comply with PSR.
However, Newcastle’s main goal will be for players to develop and eventually play for the first-team.
That will be the plan with Vakhtang Salia, who will officially join the club in August when he turns 18. Newcastle officials are excited about Salia, while the teenager is eager to show everyone what he is capable of.
Elsewhere, Toon fans are finally starting to see why the club were so happy when they acquired Garang Kuol in 2023.
Garang Kuol finding form at Newcastle United
The young Aussie arrived two years ago from Central Coast Mariners, with Dan Ashworth bringing him to Tyneside.
It has been tough ever since, with Kuol enduring two difficult loan spells away from the North East. Neither went to plan, while injury stopped Kuol going out on loan again in the summer.
Now the attacker is fit again, and is playing for the Newcastle United Under-21s. Kuol scored his first Newcastle goal last week, and now he has his second. He found the net in the young Magpies’ 4-2 win over Gateshead, with Kuol also grabbing an assist.
READ MORE: Who is Garang Kuol? Height, Position, Transfer, Family and More
Newcastle United coach praises Kuol
Kuol is finally showing flashes of his ability, suggesting that maybe he was worthy of the hype that surrounded him when he arrived.
The 20-year-old has a long way to go, but Newcastle United Under-21s manager Diarmuid O’Carroll has told the Athletic that he still has high hopes for the Australia international.
“He’s [Kuol] a very exciting talent,” he said after beating Gateshead in the National League Cup.
“But we need to manage him, get him working a little bit harder and his quality comes out. He’s a joy to work with.
“It’s about individual development. I look at him as a very good project, someone I believe has the talent to play at a very high level. He excites me. So far, I’ve got a good reaction from Garang and there’s more to come.”
Kuol’s next move is pivotal for his Newcastle United career
O’Carroll still believes that Kuol can play at a very high level. However, he did not explicitly state how high.
In a perfect world, Kuol will go on to become a Premier League player for Newcastle United. However, that dream is a long way away. As is stands, Kuol’s only first-team minutes have come in post-season friendlies over in Australia at the end of the previous campaign.
That is why Newcastle need to make sure their next decision regarding Kuol is the correct one. It has been reported that Newcastle will loan Kuol out, but that must only happen if they can find the perfect suitor.
It could be that Kuol benefits more from playing regularly for the Under-21s, as he rebuilds his confidence after a tough couple of years.
He is certainly doing that right now, with three goal contributions in less than a week.
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