OPINION
Newcastle United’s reported sacrifice of young hungry talent this summer must be the last of its kind if Rafa Benitez’s plans are ever going to come to fruition.
The Chronicle reported on Monday that the Magpies would sanction the exits of Adam Armstrong, Ivan Toney and Jamie Sterry if the club received the right offers, as Benitez needs the funds from their potential sales in order to sign a new quality centre-forward in the transfer window.
While Sterry and Toney are 22-years-old with Armstrong being 21-years-old, it still seems such a shame that they are being sacrificed to raise funds.
It may have been unlikely that the trio would have got regular first-team football at St James Park next season, but at least two of them tried valiantly to earn themselves an opportunities with their recent loan spells.
Sterry may have failed to make an impact at Crewe while on loan, but Armstrong and Toney both saw themselves get amongst the goals in their temporary spells away from the club.
In particular, Armstrong shone for Blackburn Rovers in the second half of the recently concluded campaign, scoring nine goal in 21 appearances, which made everyone sit up and pay attention to him.
It can be argued that the boat has passed on these once promising youth prospects, but it seems the club’s failure to utilise its youth system in recent times has contributed to them not being able to develop into first-team ready players.
The Chronicle previously reported in March that Benitez wanted to reboot the Magpies’ academy in order for youth players to start breaking into the first-team for many seasons to come.
The Magpies boss even went on the record to highlight the need for the club’s academy to improve.
“What can we improve?” asked Benitez, as quoted by the local newspaper.
“We’re trying to see if we can improve things all the time.
“The main thing was to get promoted in the first season, then try to improve the Academy, try to improve the squad.”
Yet for the best youth prospects to rock up at St James Park a clear route to the first-team has to be visible and selling the likes of Toney, Armstrong and even Sterry to raise funds, suggests young talent won’t get opportunities at the Magpies.
This perception could take years to change, as results have to be seen for players to believe there’s a chance for them at the club, and that means the process needs to be started as soon as possible.
If it isn’t started soon, Benitez’s plans are already a shambles as they will not be worth the paper they’re written on, as he will no doubt be long gone by time they have any positive effect on the club’s first team.
Therefore this summer must be the last time three talented young players are sacrificed in order to raise funds, as it sends the wrong message, and it won’t see Benitez’s exciting plans be rolled out anytime soon.
