Newcastle United new signing makes low-key debut after penning two-and-a-half-year deal

Alfie Harrison made his first appearance in Newcastle United colours on Saturday afternoon as the under-21s suffered a 2-1 defeat to Liverpool on Tyneside.

The 18-year-old midfielder arrived from Premier League rivals Manchester City for an undisclosed fee on January transfer deadline day and penned a two-and-a-half-year contract.

It's understood Harrison had attracted interest from West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton & Hove Albion, Celtic, Valencia, Borussia Dortmund and Nice before opting to move to St James' Park.

Newcastle head of youth recruitment Paul Midgley, who joined from Man City in 2022, played a key role in the move with talks centred around Harrison having a clear path towards first-team action.

And his Magpies' journey begun at Whitley Park at the weekend. Harrison played an hour as the Reds took a two-goal lead inside the opening 21 minutes before Ben Parkinson, who made his senior debut against AFC Bournemouth in November, pulled one back.

After completing his move to Newcastle, Harrison said: "The size of the club and what it has got going for it is massive for me. It's got a huge, passionate fanbase and I'm looking to really push on with my career now.

"If I was a kid now, looking at me signing for Newcastle United, it's what dreams are made of. I'm really looking forward to what is coming and how I can progress in the coming years.

"I'm an effective player who can add goals and assists. I really like to create stuff but, on the other side, I'd also say I'm a very passionate player who always wants to win."

Harrison has previously trained with Manchester City's first team and drawn comparisons to Erling Haaland for "their visual resemblance and has recorded an impressive goal and assist statistics for their age-group teams".

"We are delighted to secure Alfie's signature," said academy director Steve Harper. "His hunger to represent Newcastle United and continue his development here was obvious from the outset.

"He's a passionate, talented player who we are really looking forward to welcoming to the club and ultimately seeing in a black and white shirt.

"Alfie's signing is part of a strategic move to make our PDP group younger, particularly the Under-21s, and I would like to thank the board and everybody involved at the club in making this move happen."

Newcastle reportedly paid a nominal fee for Harrison upfront, however it could rise to £3.5million in add-ons. The Manchester Evening News claims Man City have a 40% sell-on clause.