Portsmouth eye Newcastle United prodigy with two appearances as starlet attracts interest from League One duo

Newcastle United could look to loan out a number of youngsters this summer as they look to harness the wide plethora of talent that they currently have in their reserve team.

Lewis Miley set the example for many academy stars to follow with an incredible 27 appearances throughout last season as he burst onto the scene at just 17 years of age.

But for many prospects, the best route into the first team, as we saw with former Magpies Elliot Anderson at Bristol Rovers, is a successful loan spell at an EFL club and young defender Alex Murphy is reportedly one of the players that could be given the chance to gain further first team experience in the EFL this season.

Murphy arrived at Newcastle from Galway United in July 2022 after a series of impressive performances in the League of Ireland at just 16 years of age.The versatile defender, who represents the Republic of Ireland at U21 level, impressed in pre-season for the senior team in the summer of 2023 and earned two Premier League appearances from the subs bench last term as the Magpies recorded a seventh place finish.

In May 2024, he signed a new long-term contract at St James’ Park and is highly regarded by the Newcastle coaching set-up. His form at academy level has earned him a status as one to watch and has thus attracted the interest of Championship new boys Portsmouth, according to a report from I News.

Pompey are short on defensive options this season and are reportedly keen to sign Murphy on loan due to his ability to play multiple positions and his confidence on the ball. The move could potentially see Murphy link him up with former Newcastle teammate Matt Ritchie, who was singed on a free this summer as well as ex-Magpie forward Elias Sorensen, who scored on his debut against Leeds United.

Meanwhile, another star that could look to develop his skills out on loan could be Lewis Miley's older brother Jamie.

Jamie, like his brother, was promoted to the first team during the pre-season in 2023 and made a huge impression heading into last season. However, the 20-year-old’s progress was hampered in October, when he sustained a serious five month knee injury during a UEFA Youth Cup game against Borussia Dortmund.

Miley returned to action in this summer’s pre-season and once again seemed to adapt well to the demands of men’s football. However, with the likes of Joelinton, Bruno Guimaraes, Sean Longstaff, Joe Willock, younger brother Lewis and the returning Sandro Tonali all sitting above him in the pecking order, it could be likely that Miley is sent out on loan.

Football Insider reporter Pete O’Rourke understands that League One sides Northampton Town and Crawley Town are both interested in recruiting the youngster on loan while League Two sides Gillingham and Newport County have also expressed their desire to bring him into their teams.