Upon becoming the new Sporting Director at Newcastle last year, Paul Mitchell immediately set about steering the club in a new direction regarding our young talent.

Where our academy and youth system was once a definitive weak point at the club, it has fast become home to some hugely exciting prospects.

And a new report has offered some insight around our plans to develop some of our new ‘project signings’ ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Three project signings set for loans

Whilst we still await for a major first team signing to come to Tyneside, we’ve quietly assembled some new additions to our youth system in 2025.

This includes Malaga’s Antonio Cordero –  due to arrive on a free from Spain next month – along with Georgian forward Vakhtang Salia and Turkish midfielder Baran Yilidiz, who signed in January.

Low-cost, high-potential arrivals from abroad may eventually join our first team or be sold for a profit in time, but it seems our initial plan is to send them out on loan.

When asked about the next steps for 2025 project signings, The Mail’s Craig Hope commented: ‘They will all be loaned out. They are not considered ‘first-team’ signings yet and, as such, Eddie Howe has had close to little involvement.”

Under-21 star to join them?

The 2025 signings aren’t the only players touted with a loan move next season, as Chris Waugh at The Athletic has tipped Alfie Harrison to join them.

With 10 contributions across 20 Premier League 2 appearances this campaign, the former Man City youngster is one of our top prospects, but can perhaps secure more minutes elsewhere for the time being.

With the unenviable task of trying to break into our current midfield as well as sidestep the likes of Lewis Miley for a place in the hierarchy, Harrison’s talent warrants senior minutes and the chance to test himself, perhaps in the EFL.

The 19-year-old arrived from Man City last year and was quite a capture for our Academy at the time, but it’ll be interesting to see if he can force his way into Howe’s plans as a No 10; a position we rarely utilise in our current 4-3-3 system.