Newcastle are also ready to sign another promising young player. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
The transfer window may be closed, but Newcastle are still exploring transfer business, led by Ross Wilson, who was recently appointed as the club’s new sporting director. Specifically, we are working on contracts with academies, which we have been putting a lot of effort into in recent years.
Selling academy players has proven beneficial during the PSR era, with Newcastle selling Elliott Anderson when he joined Nottingham Forest in 2024 in a deal worth £35m. They have other talent that fits this mold that they can use to create breathing space, and they continue to strive to add other talent to the mix, the latest of which has been mostly signed recently.
Newcastle agree contract for ‘next John Stones’
According to Sky Sports (via EPL Index), Newcastle have agreed an agreement with Barnsley to sign 15-year-old defender Josh Kensington, who will arrive at St James’ Park for a fee in the region of £350,000. There is also interest from Tottenham and Brighton, but he will soon head to the north east.
Kensington has been likened to fellow Barnsley player John Stones, who joined Everton in 2013 before joining Man City three years later. He is described as a two-footed central defender who can take advantage of games with his passing range and is essentially a younger version of the England international.
Newcastle will be keen to see the teenager make an impact at St James’ Park, but it will be many years before he breaks into the first team. He is expected to move from Barnsley shortly, at which point the focus will be on his development in the north-east of England.