MIKE Ashley’s blueprint for Newcastle United’s future continues to take shape as the Magpies close in on the signing of Plymouth teenager Aaron Spear.
While United fans clamour for the first big-name signing of the summer, which they hope will send out a signal of the club’s renewed ambition ahead of the new season, United’s owner is keen to ensure the club’s long-term health is looked after as much as its short-term needs.
The Journal revealed last week that Ashley will be taking a more hands-on role at St James’s Park next season following the departure of chairman Chris Mort.
This will see the billionaire take direct control of player recruitment, as well as having the key say in the on-going contract talks with skipper Michael Owen and defender Steven Taylor.
As a result, although Kevin Keegan will be back at his desk next week to step up the Magpies’ first-team recruitment drive, Ashley continues to promote a policy which will see the Magpies attempt to sign the best young players in the country, even if some of these have never made a first-team appearance.
“We are not going to make big-name signings just for the sake of it,” a senior Newcastle figure told The Journal. “If the right player is available and the price is right we will be in for them, but we don’t want to buy established stars who are approaching the end of their careers on big wages who will need to be replaced in one or two years.
“We want young, hungry players who will be at this football club for a long time to come. That is the vision we have for the future of this football club. It is about the strength of the club over many years to come.”
Spear will be the latest youngster to move to the North East when the deal finally goes through later this month. The 15-year-old will follow former Swindon prospect Ben Tozer, 18, Hungarian youth international Tamas Kadar, 18, French striker Wesley Ngo Baheng, 18, highly-rated Italian forward Fabio Zamblera, 18, and Swedish goalkeeper Ole Soderberg, 17, to St James’s Park. All have signed this year and United’s activity in this area will not end with the capture of Spear.
The teenager is also attracting interest
from Arsenal, who have attempted to hijack his proposed move to Newcastle, but sources close to the player have suggested he favours a move North in a deal which is likely to cost the Magpies around £250,000.
Keegan is well aware of his boss’ desire to build up the strength of the club’s young players, but he has also emphasised that considerable investment is needed in the first team squad if he is going to be able to build on the positive end to last season.
Newcastle’s only transfer activity so far this summer has seen players leaving, with Emre, David Rozehnal, Peter Ramage and Stephen Carr the most high-profile departures, while striker Shola Ameobi – a player once talked about as Alan Shearer’s natural successor – will also be on his way when he returns from his honeymoon next week. And it seems Celtic winger Aiden McGeady could be one of the first of the new arrivals, with Newcastle’s new youth-team coach Alan Thompson insisting his former Bhoys team-mate has all the attributes needed to be a success in the Premier League.
McGeady has also attracted the attention of United’s North East rivals Sunderland and former Newcastle midfielder Thompson, who has returned to the club to take charge of the Academy’s 15 and 16-year-olds, would love to see him in a black-and-white shirt next season.
Thompson said: “I think Aiden McGeady has more than enough to survive in the Premier League and he would be a great attribute if he comes to the North East. He’s a young lad, but already has umpteen international caps and you don’t get that at his age unless you’re good enough. I used to joke with him that neither of us was any good in the air, but he’s strong on his left or right foot and he’s willing to learn.”
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