Breaking news in the last few moments as Newcastle United confirm the signing of England U-21 winger and boyhood fan Jacob Murphy.
The 22-year old arrives from Norwich for £10m plus £2m in add ons. He impressed in the Championship last season, bagging 13 goals and 6 assists in all competitions, also shining for England U-21’s in the European Championships this summer, scoring in England’s 3-0 group win over Poland.
Welcome, @JacobMurphy95.#WelcomeJacob #NUFC pic.twitter.com/yNPJtUdQro
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) July 19, 2017
The move for Murphy is a dream come true. Here’s what he and Rafa Benitez following the official announcement:
Jacob Murphy:
“It was a childhood dream of mine to represent Newcastle and the opportunity is now here. I can’t wait to get started.”
“When phonecall came in from Rafa, it was a no-brainer. He’s managed some of the best teams in the world. He can only improve me”
Rafa Benitez
“He’s a young and talented player and hopefully he can develop even more here.”
“We hope he can show us the passion, commitment and ability that he showed in the Championship last season.”
“In this case, the main thing is that we have a player who has pace and can score goals, but wants to play for Newcastle United. “That’s a huge advantage. He will be working so hard trying to impress our fans.
“We will see if he can reproduce his performances of the Championship in the Premier League- he has the potential to do that.”
At £10m plus add ons, in this day and age, makes Murphy look like a really a promising acquisition. His blend of pace, goal threat and desire to impress at his boyhood club is an exciting mix, with the latter being a vital trait for any Newcastle player ahead of the upcoming season.
Welcome Jacob!