Newcastle United have plenty of academy stars who should go on to have bright futures at St James’ Park.
Leo Shahar looks destined to become a Premier League regular at St James’ Park, while Sean Neave is on the right path. It could be a path that takes him away from Tyneside, with Neave keen to go out on loan.
Elsewhere, Park Seung-Soo looks incredibly exciting after his summer arrival, as does Irish centre-midfielder Rory Finneran.
Newcastle United must ensure all of these players realise their potential in black and white, while another player they have incredibly high hopes for is Sam Alabi.
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Newcastle United have high hopes for Sam Alabi
Alabi joined Newcastle United from Oldham Athletic in 2023 but has already found himself on the fringes of the first-team squad.
He was called up to first-team training by Eddie Howe at the age of 15, while he was recently on the bench for Newcastle United against Marseille in the Champions League.
That will have been a great experience for the 16-year-old midfielder, and it is going to be exciting to follow his journey at St James’ Park.
There is also excitement within the club, with the Athletic reporting that Newcastle United insiders believe Alabi has a very ‘big future’ ahead of him.
That is summed up by the opportunities that the midfielder has been afforded already, having been on the bench in the Champions League, trained with the first-team and represented the Under-21s at 16.
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Ross Wilson must create a path for Sam Alabi at Newcastle United
As sporting director, part of Ross Wilson’s remit is ensuring there is a clear pathway from the Newcastle United academy through to the first-team.
He must ensure the club are producing players who can be used in the first-team, or at least be sold for a healthy profit in the world of PSR.
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It feels like the former is more likely for Alabi, but that will partially be down to Wilson. The teenager’s development must be tracked carefully, ensuring he achieves the potential he clearly has.
That development can either come from steadily being integrated into the first-team or going out on loan. There is no hard and fast rule on what must be done. While Elliot Anderson benefited from a loan spell, it has been better for Lewis Miley to remain on Tyneside.
Newcastle United must decide which path is best for Alabi, as they aim to ensure he really does have a ‘big future’ at St James’ Park.