Adam Armstrong faces another season out on loan as he attempts to make the big breakthrough at St James’ Park.
The striker netted six goals on loan for Barnsley during the second half of the season and is included in the England squad for the u-20 World Cup Finals in South Korea later this month.
Despite those developments The Chronicle expects Armstrong to be out on loan again next season with Barnsley boss Paul Heckingbottom supporting that view.
A promotion chasing Championship side seems the most likely option with Heckingbottom feeling that the striker has played his way out of Barnsley’s reach.
“We probably won’t be able to keep any of our loan players,” he admitted. “You never know but I would be surprised. If loan players perform well for us, other clubs become interested and we price ourselves out.”
Armstrong will return to Newcastle for pre-season training but with an influx of players expected ahead of the Premier League campaign he’ll find himself behind Dwight Gayle and any new signings that Rafa Benitez makes.
Whether he’ll ever make the grade at Newcastle remains to be seen with little room for experimenting in the top flight with avoiding another relegation the bottom line.
