Newcastle United has been struck a transfer blow by Manchester City following a surprise double swoop.
Divine Mukasa, a West Ham United academy midfielder, has been signed by Newcastle United.
Newcastle had held talks with the 16-year-old over the summer, but Premier League champions Manchester City are likely to finalise a deal for him this week. Mukasa’s England Under-16 teammates Leo Shahar and Trevan Sanusi have just joined the Magpies from Wolverhampton Wanderers and Birmingham City, respectively.
According to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, Mukasa has agreed to a long-term contract that will be formally signed within the next 48 hours. Newcastle will miss out on an academy talent, according to the Italian journalist, who labeled the transfer with his ‘here we go’ signature.
The offensive midfielder confirmed his departure from West Ham over the summer.
Newcastle’s academy has had a historic week, with the club’s Under-19s team competing in the UEFA Youth League for the first time. On Tuesday afternoon, the Young Magpies were defeated 4-0 by AC Milan’s youth team at the Vismara Sports Centre in Milan.
Newcastle’s academy has joined the competition as a result of the first-team’s participation in the Champions League, and they will face the respective youth sides from United’s three group stage opponents, Milan, Borussia Dortmund, and Paris Saint-Germain.
While Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali faced his former club at the San Siro in a goalless draw, 18-year-old defender Cathal Heffernan played the full 90-minutes for Newcastle’s Under-19s after joining the club from Milan’s academy over the summer.
