Newcastle ‘agree deal’ to sign Man City scoring sensation likened to Erling Haaland

Newcastle United have reportedly agreed a deal to sign Manchester City youngster Alfie Harrison.

The teenager, who has scored eight in as many league matches this season for City’s Under-18s, is set to join the Magpies this week for an undisclosed fee, according to The Athletic. 

They add the player will undergo a medical and sign a long-term contract at Newcastle, with Paul Midgley a key factor in the move. Midgley joined Newcastle as head of recruitment in 2022, after leaving City.

As for Harrison, The Athletic state: “He has drawn comparisons to City’s prolific senior striker Erling Haaland for their visual resemblance and has recorded impressive goal and assist statistics for their age-group teams.”

However, the 18-year-old is an attacking midfielder rather than a centre-forward and his impressive displays saw him make a first appearance for the Under-21s in December.

The move comes amid Newcastle’s financial issues which have limited their ability to recruit at senior level. "In an ideal world, given the freedom to act we would have brought players in already," manager Eddie Howe said earlier this month.

"But we're not in that situation - as Darren [Eales, Newcastle CEO] alluded to on Thursday, Financial Fair Play is a problem for us, and we're having to navigate round that.”

Newcastle were also one of the teams interested in signing Kalvin Phillips on loan this window. The North-East club and Crystal Palace were in the driving seat last week, but the midfielder is now set to join West Ham United on loan, ManchesterWorld understands.

The player is set to sign for the remainder of the season, although no option to buy has yet been agreed between the clubs. The England international could make his West Ham debut when they host Bournemouth on 1 February.