Man United & Arsenal target set to visit Newcastle United training ground for transfer talks

Republic of Ireland youth international Romeo Akachukwu is set to visit Newcastle United next week ahead of a potential move.

The 16-year-old has caught the eye of multiple elite clubs, including Manchester United, Arsenal and AC Milan, after starring at the recent under-17s European Championships.

Akachukwu scored one of the goals of the tournament in a 3-0 win over Wales as Ireland advanced to the quarter-finals stage before losing to Spain.

The midfielder also achieved a major milestone last Friday night after making his full debut for League of Ireland First Division side Waterford in a 6-1 victory against Finn Harps.

As reported by Faireland Fans, Akachukwu will be shown around Newcastle’s facilities next week in the hope of tempting him to Tyneside in the near future.

Akachukwu, who turns 17 at the end of July, isn’t able to move to England until the age of 18. However, it’s no surprise to see the Magpies planning ahead.

Since becoming United’s sporting director last year, Dan Ashworth has implemented big changes to the academy - both on and off the pitch - by creating a number of scouting and recruitment roles to be based across England as a way of improving academy productivity.

Paul Midgley (Head of Head of Youth Recruitment) and Paul McLaren (Head of National Youth Scouting 13s to 18s) have joined from Manchester City, while Edward Black (Lead Academy Scout U9s to U14s), Delroy Ebanks (Academy Lead Scout for the South of England), Andy Basterfield (North West Regional scout) and Claire Burrows are among those to join from Arsenal, West Ham, Manchester United and Leicester City, respectively.

Significant investment has also gone into recruiting young players.

Alex Murphy and Charlie McArthur were among those to join Newcastle last summer from Galway United and Kilmarnock, respectively, while Garang Kuol and most recently Yankuba Minteh have arrived before being immediately loaned out.