Young midfielder likes 'welcome to Newcastle' comment as deal agreed with Championship club

Newcastle United are set to bolster their academy with the addition of a highly-rated midfielder.

As per our sister title The News, the Magpies have agreed to sign 14-year-old CJ Afumuzor from Portsmouth.

Afumuzor spent eight years at Pompey and the newly-promoted Championship club are entitled to a transfer fee. However, the Premier League-driven Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) restricts the amount they can receive.

The teenager confirmed his departure two weeks ago, posting on Instagram: “23/24 season done. Massive thank you to @pompey and everyone at the club for developing over the last 8 years. Excited to see what the future holds🤞🏾⚽️”

With news of Afumuzor’s move beginning to spread, some fans have commented on his Instagram posts. One comment, which read “welcome to Newcastle” was liked by Afumuzor.

The Magpies have recruited a number of promising youngsters in recent seasons, the most recent being Alfie Harrison from Manchester City. Trevan Sanusi and Leo Sharer joined from Birmingham City and Wolves, respectively, last summer and since gone on to sign professional contracts and represent England under-17s.

Below under-21s and under-18s level, United brought in Kacey Wooster and Michael Mills from Southend United and Port Vale, respectively, 12 months ago, while Sam Alabi also joined from Oldham Athletic.