Newcastle United are reportedly leading the chase for 16-year-old Dundee United forward Rory MacLeod.
According to The Sun, English Premier League pair Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion are the front-runners in the race to land one of Scotland’s best upcoming talents in Dundee United striker Rory MacLeod, with a view to adding him to their development squads.
Newcastle have spent big over the last year or so as they look to establish themselves as a force in English football under their new uber-rich owners, but it’s not just big-profile players they are pursuing. The Magpies will be hoping to build for the future by adding talented gems to their ranks.
And that’s vitally important in order to not only produce first-team stars but also adhere to Financial Fair Play spending restrictions, which are not likely to change until revenues begin to climb, whether via increased global marketing or success on the pitch.
Thus, they have invested significantly in youth since the summer, having made five teenage signings from across the UK so far this season, including Alex Murphy, Charlie McArthur, Jude Smith, Jordan Hackett, and Amadou Diallo, while 18-year-old Australia international Garang Kuol has also formally joined the club from A-League side Central Coast Mariners over the winter transfer window.
The latest talent being eyed, per the Sun, is Dundee United’s prodigious striker Rory MacLeod. Dundee United have forged a reputation for nurturing young players and giving them a chance to impress early in their learning curve.
MacLeod is being looked upon as the next in line, with a big future ahead of him. At just 16 years old, he became the club’s youngest-ever player to make his first-team debut in February 2022.
The rising talent has already made four senior appearances for Dundee United, including one in the Scottish Premiership so far this season. Now there is interest in the Scottish striker from south of the border, with multiple Premier League clubs tracking his progress, including Newcastle United and Brighton, who are at the front of the queue for his services.
It would take a significant bid of around £400,000 with guaranteed add-ons for the Scottish Premiership outfit to sell one of their prized assets. The fact that Newcastle are aiming to strengthen their academy with players like MacLeod and other emerging prospects bodes well for the future.
Their academy will be central to their long-term plans because players coming through will save them from having to time and again dive into the transfer market to plug the gaps in the squad.
At 16, MacLeod is still in the formative years of his career and must impress in the academy before learning from more experienced strikers at the club in Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson, and eventually replacing them in the long run.
