Newcastle United take Arsenal 18 y/o on trial - has already made 'iconic' St James' Park claim

Newcastle United have taken young Arsenal goalkeeper Noah Cooper on trial.

Cooper will officially leave the Gunners at the end of the season after being told he won’t be offered a professional contract. He is already on the lookout for a new club and Newcastle have decided to take a closer look.

The 18-year-old appeared in United under-18s’ 2-1 defeat at Blackburn Rovers last weekend and could again take his place in between the sticks when Liverpool visit Tyneside on Tuesday night.

Cooper - who previously spent seven years at Crystal Palace - played a key part as Arsenal reached the final of the FA Youth Cup in 2022-23.

They knocked Newcastle out in the fourth round at St James’ Park and speaking about the experience, Cooper said: “Playing at St James’ Park in the next round was a fantastic experience for us.

“Having the opportunity to play at iconic stadiums is great for our development and we relish the opportunity of what life will be like in the first-team. It’s something for us to aspire to and drives us going forward.”

Since signing a scholarship two years ago, Cooper has made 26 appearances for the Gunners’ under-18s.

He also broke into the under-21s squad last season, making his Premier League 2 debut away to Everton, and was a substitute in each of the Gunners’ UEFA Youth League group games this term.