Newcastle United have reportedly agreed a deal to sign 19-year-old goalkeeper Jude Smith from Scottish League Two outfit East Fife.
Newcastle United are set to sign prodigious goalkeeper Jude Smith from Scottish League Two outfit East Fife after he enjoyed a successful trial with the Magpies’ Under-21 squad last month. That is according to the Northern Echo, who claim that the 19-year-old is now set to travel to Tyneside to finalise the deal, and Newcastle will fork out a five-figure fee to secure the services of the teenage goalkeeper.
Jude Smith started his football career in the youth ranks at Celtic before joining then-Scottish League One side East Fife last summer on a free transfer. The 19-year-old made 25 league outings for the club while managing four clean sheets, but he could not prevent his side from getting relegated to the fourth-tier of the Scottish pyramid after finishing rock-bottom in League One.
The young goalkeeper did, however, draw attention with his excellent performances, and he was named East Fife Supporters’ Trust Club’s young player and player of the year last term. After East Fife gave Smith the green light to explore any interested suitor, Newcastle welcomed the teenager on trial with the Under-21 side last month, after he previously trained with Championship club Stoke City.
And it appears Smith has impressed Newcastle United’s academy coaches, having done enough to earn a professional contract with the Magpies. The Tyneside outfit are set to announce the signing of their latest academy recruit in the coming days. Fife will pocket an undisclosed five-figure sum for the stopper.
Last season, Smith was one of the youngest senior goalkeepers in British football, and Newcastle’s academy scouts have taken note of his progress. It is impressive to have played a decent amount of senior football at the age of 19, particularly for a goalkeeper. But he is unlikely to slot straightaway into Newcastle’s first-team picture and will instead link up with Elliott Dickman’s under-21s, trying to work his way up.
Stoke City were also interested in signing Smith, but he has opted to join Newcastle. Once Smith signs on the dotted line, he will become the fourth academy signing of the summer after Jordan Hackett, Alex Murphy, and Charlie McArthur, with Newcastle’s Sporting Director Dan Ashworth pushing hard to improve the club’s youth options.
Despite selling Freddie Woodman to Championship outfit Preston North End for an undisclosed fee earlier this summer, Newcastle currently have four goalkeepers in and around the first team, with Nick Pope, Martin Dubravka, Karl Darlow, and Mark Gillespie all part of the senior group.
Eddie Howe is unlikely to name four goalkeepers in his first-team Premier League squad, and with Dubravka garnering interest from Leicester City, perhaps the Slovakian international may leave before the end of the summer transfer window.