Newcastle United have enjoyed a remarkable twist of fate under Eddie Howe over the past few seasons, transforming from relegation favourites to regular European contenders in just a couple of years.
An exciting, youthful squad featuring star names Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon have established themselves as one of the country’s best sides once again after over a decade in the abyss under Mike Ashley’s ownership.
The famous Saudi takeover in 2021 has seen a wealth of big names arrive at the club while also recruiting and developing a host of young talent capable of maintaining high performance levels over years to come.
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Financial Fair Play restrictions saw the club part ways with a number of high-profile youngsters seemingly against their will over the summer, with Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson departing in big-money moves in order to balance the books.
This has led to the Magpies looking to rebuild their young core to supplement the likes of Lewis Hall, Garang Kuol and Lewis Miley – ranked at no.36 in FourFourTwo’s list of the most exciting teenagers to watch this season.
The latest exciting arrival appears to be Georgian wonderkid Vakhtang Salia, arriving from Dinamo Tbilisi on a permanent deal.
The club confirmed the signing on their social media accounts with a statement which reads: “We have completed a deal to sign highly-rated Georgian forward, Vakhtang Salia from Dinamo Tbilisi. He will officially join the club on his 18th birthday in August and will remain at Dinamo in the meantime. Welcome to Newcastle United, Vakhtang!”
The 17-year-old is already a regular in the senior team, making 31 appearances and scoring six goals while drawing praise for his playmaking abilities and long passing, encouraging cautious comparisons to Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard.
According to HITC, the Magpies have seen off competition from the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in the race to secure Salia’s signature, sparking plenty of excitement around the youngster’s arrival.
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The Magpies currently sit 12th in the Premier League following Sunday’s defeat to Chelsea as they look to recover the form which saw them claim a historic top-four spot just 18 months ago.
Eddie Howe’s side have a tough run of games ahead of them, with Arsenal visiting St James’ Park before a tough trip to the City Ground to face an in-form Nottingham Forest side.
